WPP has named Publicis Groupe veteran Laurent Ezekiel as the company's first chief marketing and growth officer.
Ezekiel served a twin role as president of Digitas North America and International and global business development lead. He joined Digitas in 2003, three years before Publicis bought the marketing company.
According to an internal company announcement from WPP chief executive Mark Read, Ezekiel will split time between New York and London and will report directly to Read.
Ezekiel's priority is to support WPP’s growth strategy, and he will work alongside chief client officer Lindsay Pattison.
"Laurent’s combination of skills – as a modern marketer with experience in technology, data, client services and new business – is rare in our industry, and this is an important new role for WPP as we continue to reshape our company around the needs of our clients," Read said.
Ezekiel joins as Read is implementing a three-year company turnaround that will see WPP focus on commerce and tech as fundamental pillars.
Ezekiel recently helped Publicis secure its $1.7bn account with GlaxoSmithKline. He previously worked at Grey in London and started his career at Saatchi & Saatchi.