The Omnicom-IPG fallout was bound to offer up some premium talent for hire. Alex Hesz, who was IPG’s global strategy officer, has now joined WPP as president, strategy and solutions.
He’s leading a whole new Strategy Architects Group which is all about unifying WPP’s technology, media, data and marketing capabilities in the name of delivering tailored solutions and driving growth at WPP’s top 200 clients.
Kay will work alongside WPP lifer Ben Kay, who is the group’s head of planning, and Ogilvy’s global chief transformation officer Antonis Kocheilas who has been at Ogilvy for most of his career. The trio will report to WPP COO Devika Bulchandani.
Hesz said: “I am incredibly excited to work with Ben and Antonis to create the next generation of solutions, architecting new pathways for clients to not only adapt but also thrive in this dynamic landscape. My experience across all facets of the marketing ecosystem has shown me how critical integrated thinking and agile solutioning are, and I believe that when executed well, this function should feel like strategic ‘surround sound’ for CEOs and leadership teams.”
Hesz, who had been at IPG for 18 months, made his name at Omnicom, starting at adam&eveDDB in 2011 and moving up to EVP CSO for the whole group in 2022 after he backtracked on a move to Dentsu. He joined IPG in 2024.
Bulchandani Said: “The Strategy Architects Group is our commitment to creating a function dedicated to delivering best-in-class, highly tailored, and agnostic solutions for our clients. I’m confident this group will help brand leaders reimagine growth for the AI era, ensuring WPP remains their indispensable partner transformation.”
