WPP is moving Ogilvy’s EMEA MD for clients, Jai Kotecha – who has a background in the social and influencer space – into the CEO role at Grey. He replaces Conrad Persons, who was last month promoted to become chief of staff for WPP CEO Cindy Rose.
At Ogilvy, Kotecha was largely in charge of European PR, social and influence for WPP OpenX, the group’s bespoke Coca-Cola set up. In his new role at Grey he will join chief creative officer Helen Rhodes, who joined the agency from BBH in the summer, and CSO Tarek Sioufi in the top team.
Rhodes said: “Jai is a champion of creativity and I’m excited to partner with him as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, delivering the kind of ‘famously effective’ ideas our clients need to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.”
Kotecha joined Ogilvy as head of digital and social content from Red Brick Road in 2012 and has spent time working for the agency in Amsterdam.
He said: “It is a true privilege to join Grey London at such an exhilarating time. This is an agency that has been driving value for clients for over a century, built on a foundation of incredible talent and a relentless pursuit of groundbreaking creative ideas. I’m eager to build on the agency’s fantastic momentum, working hand-in-hand with our teams to prove what ‘Famously effective’ means for modern, enduring brands.”
Laurent Ezekiel, global CEO of Ogilvy Group, said: “Jai’s remarkable track record, particularly his proven ability to modernise agency offerings by significantly enhancing their focus on social and influencer marketing, while simultaneously reinforcing the foundational capabilities essential for building enduring brands, makes him an exceptional fit for Grey London. His expertise is precisely what our clients need today. Jai’s journey is also a testament to our commitment to creating opportunities for our high-performing talent across the entire group.”
WPP has just consolidated the back-office operations of Grey and Ogilvy, bringing together finance, HR and IT globally. The idea is to deepen collaboration between the two networks without losing their distinct branding, and signals the end of Mark Read’s initiative to bring Grey and AKQA closer together.
