In a strategic move to streamline operations and enhance collaborative capabilities, WPP has realigned its global creative agency Grey under the leadership of Ogilvy, according to recent global reports. This change marks the end of Grey’s previous reporting structure under the AKQA Group, a setup established in 2020.
While the new structure promotes greater operational synergy, WPP has emphasized that this is not a merger. Grey will continue to operate as an independent brand within the WPP network, maintaining its leadership team and servicing clients autonomously. As part of this transition, Laura Maness, Global CEO of Grey, will now report directly to Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO of Ogilvy.
In an internal communication, Bulchandani clarified, “This is not a consolidation, but rather a realignment to better reflect how our agencies operate in practice. Grey will remain a standalone agency brand that will continue independently serving its clients with the same dedication and expertise they’ve come to expect.”
The restructuring does not come with any confirmed staff reductions, though WPP has not disclosed any further HR-related impacts at this stage.
This leadership change follows Ajaz Ahmed’s departure from AKQA to launch a new independent venture, leaving AKQA in the process of selecting a new global CEO. The move also aligns with WPP’s broader organizational evolution, including significant changes at GroupM, where the company is shifting toward a unified operating model that may affect up to 45% of its U.S. workforce.
Though Grey and AKQA were originally grouped under a single umbrella, the agencies maintained distinct operational identities. Grey will continue to collaborate with AKQA on shared client engagements, leveraging their respective strengths—Grey in brand-building creativity, and AKQA in cutting-edge design and technology.
The new reporting structure is expected to foster stronger collaboration between Grey and Ogilvy, particularly in strategy, public relations, and customer experience, creating an integrated ecosystem of creative excellence within WPP.
This move is part of WPP CEO Mark Read’s ongoing efforts to simplify WPP’s structure, optimize service delivery, and enhance client impact through closer, cross-disciplinary agency collaboration.
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