Advertising powerhouse WPP loses its key figure, Laurent Ezekiel, as he departs from its Coca-Cola division to join rival Publicis. Ezekiel, previously serving as the agency chief and CMO, is moving on to new ventures.
In a notable move, Laurent Ezekiel, the former global chief marketing officer (CMO) and CEO of Open X, a bespoke agency created for Coca-Cola at WPP, has decided to leave the company to rejoin Publicis Groupe, his former employer of over 16 years.
Ezekiel's departure from WPP coincides with significant leadership changes and the loss of major client accounts, including Coca-Cola, Mars, and Paramount, which have moved their media business from WPP to Publicis. Ezekiel initially joined WPP in 2019 as its first global CMO and later became CEO of OpenX, a role he took up after WPP won the global Coca-Cola account in 2021.
Before his tenure at WPP, Ezekiel held senior roles at Publicis, including President of Digitas North America & International and Global Client Lead for multinational clients like GSK and Samsung. His return to Publicis comes during a period of heightened competition among holding companies offering client-dedicated agency models, which was a strategic area of focus for Ezekiel at WPP with OpenX.
The exact role and new title for Ezekiel at Publicis Groupe have not been publicly disclosed as of late July 2025. WPP, on the other hand, is working with Coca-Cola to identify a successor for Ezekiel.
This move exemplifies the competitive landscape in the advertising holding groups, especially around the Coca-Cola business where Ezekiel played a pivotal role in developing client-specific agency models at WPP before major parts of the Coca-Cola media mandate shifted back to Publicis.
It is worth noting that this move comes amidst other significant changes at WPP. CEO Mark Read is stepping down and will be replaced by Microsoft executive Cindy Rose. WPP also issued a shock profit warning earlier this month. Coca-Cola, however, remains confident in the future of Open X.
[1] The Drum, "Laurent Ezekiel to leave WPP to join Publicis Groupe", 2025 [2] Ad Age, "Laurent Ezekiel returns to Publicis Groupe after departure from WPP", 2025 [3] Campaign Live, "Laurent Ezekiel departs WPP to return to Publicis Groupe", 2025 [4] Coca-Cola's global CMO, Manuel "Manolo" Arroyo, confirmed Laurent Ezekiel's exit in a memo. [5] This article was updated to include WPP's statement.
- Laurent Ezekiel's departure from WPP may lead to shifts in the management of the company's assets, particularly in the finance and business sectors related to client-dedicated agency models, such as Open X.
- As Ezekiel rejoins Publicis Groupe, he will likely bring his expertise in finance, business, and strategic client relationships, which could result in enhanced opportunities for growth in these areas.
