WPP Australia and New Zealand has announced changes to its New Zealand Leadership team.
Managing director NZ Sven Baker has resigned from his current position and will move to the transitional role of non-executive chairman, NZ.
At the same time, a new NZ management team has been appointed.
Reporting to WPP AUNZ CEO Jens Monsees, the new team comprises: GroupM NZ CEO Chris Riley, Designworks CEO Kelly-Ann Maxwell, Wunderman Thompson CEO Luke Pierson and WPP AUNZ chief financial officer NZ Damian Ferigo.
“Over the almost two decades Sven has been with the company, he has played a pivotal role overseeing some of NZ’s most successful M&As [mergers and acquisitions], has driven growth, spearheaded great campaigns and has worked hard on collaboration with all the brands within NZ and across Australia,” Monsees says.
“Sven is deeply respected across the company for his considered perspective on the business. We thank him for his commitment and dedication and look forward to working with him in this new capacity.”
Baker’s career with WPP AUNZ commenced in the 2000s when Designworks became part of the holding group.
During his time at the helm of Designworks, Baker established himself as a leading strategic and creative practitioner on both sides of the Tasman.
In 2013 Baker was awarded the Designers Institute of New Zealand Black Pin in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contribution to the design profession.
Baker says he feels that now the right time for him to step back from the operational side of the business.
"There’s an incredibly talented group of senior leaders ready and able to step up and drive this business forward," he says.
"I’m also excited about shaping the next chapter of my own career, both within the governance role for WPP AUNZ in NZ, and across broader interests, including actively supporting the portfolio of technology start-ups that I am becoming increasingly involved with as an investor and advisor.”
The NZ management team will take the reins immediately and will work together to bring the best of the WPP AUNZ NZ-based companies to their clients, their teams and the market.
Riley, Ferigo and Maxwell will be based in Auckland, while Pierson is based in Wellington.
Together they will manage all the NZ locations.
Riley has spent more than 20 years in advertising, communications and digital working in senior leadership positions across agencies in the UK and NZ.
Maxwell recently moved to New Zealand from London and is bringing her global operational expertise and passion for creativity to the team.
Pierson has more than 20 years’ experience in business leadership and last year successfully merged Heyday and J. Walter Thompson to create Wunderman Thompson NZ.
Ferigo, who has been with WPP AUNZ in NZ for three years, will continue to drive commercial and financial management excellence across all the businesses.
The changes to the leadership team follow WPP AUNZ's recent acquisition of NZ business Dominion which has been merged with AKQA.
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