Andy Main, the global head of Deloitte Digital, has been appointed global CEO of WPP's Ogilvy.
The career consultant succeeds John Seifert, a lifer advertising man, who in April announced plans to step down from the advertising agency after four decades, including five as CEO.
Industry insiders see Main's appointment as a reversal of the brain drain to the global consulting firms which have been poaching advertising talent to build their businesses.
Main is a pure consultant and his arrival at Ogilvy signals a change in culture. He began his career with Andersen Consulting and moved to Deloitte Consulting in 1999 as a principal in the Hi-Tech Practice. He has also previously served on Deloitte Consulting's board of directors.
"Ogilvy is a name synonymous with creative and strategic excellence and I am honoured to become the company's next CEO," says Main.
"We have a great opportunity to help clients deliver sustainable growth by using Ogilvy's creative genius to transform not only brands but entire businesses.
"We must also be a company with a clear culture of belonging where talented people from under-represented groups are championed and supported throughout their careers, and given the chance to reach the very highest levels of the organization."
Main became head of Deloitte Digital in 2014, rapidly growing the business into a global brand and acquiring multiple creative agencies, now a trend by consulting firms to take market share. Deloitte Digital posted $US16 billion revenue in 2018, up from $US6 billion in 2014.
He comes to Ogilvy with a brief for growth. WPP doesn't report revenue numbers separately for its brands. For 2019, it reported GBP10.2 billion (USD12.7 billion) revenue for its Global Integrated Agencies, including Grey, GroupM, Hogarth, Ogilvy, VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.
John Seifert, the current Ogilvy CEO, is advertising blue blood, joining the agency as a summer intern in Los Angeles in 1979.
"I have been supported by so many generous colleagues and clients," he says. "It's been a wonderful life."
Main starts at Ogilvy at the end of July. Seifert will partner with Main through the rest of the year to ensure a seamless transition.
Mark Read, CEO of WPP: "Andy is one of our industry's most admired leaders. He has demonstrated the effectiveness of blending creative, technology and consulting services. His belief in the power of creativity to transform businesses and the importance of people and culture in organizations aligns closely with our vision for WPP and our agencies."
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