British advertising titan WPP has named Nancy Hall CEO of WPP Media U.S. following a months-long search for a leader of the division helmed by WPP Media global CEO Brian Lesser.
Hall is stepping into the role after a nine-month stint as the company’s chief client officer. Prior to that, she was North America CEO at Mindshare, a WPP-owned media agency. She brings nearly 25 years of experience to her new post, having worked across adland holding companies including IPG and Conversant, which as part of Epsilon was later acquired by Publicis. In those roles, Hall helped to build out programmatic and tech capabilities designed to drive client outcomes.
“My priority is to accelerate our momentum through innovation—strengthening our data and technology foundation, deepening client impact, and cultivating a culture where our teams are supported, challenged, and able to achieve their highest aspirations,” Hall told ADWEEK in a statement. “When our people thrive, our clients do, too. I am committed to setting that standard in this next chapter.”
Lesser, to whom Hall will report directly, expressed his confidence in Hall’s appointment. Her record of pioneering data and technology capabilities to deliver strong client results, he said, aligns “perfectly with our strategic priorities across WPP.”
Beyond her expertise in leading tech-centric organizations, he added, “she is deeply committed to our people and cultivating an environment where they are able to reach their highest aspirations.”
The news comes five months after the departure of Sharb Farjami, who served in the role for less than two years. Since his exit, Lesser has helmed WPP Media U.S. in an interim capacity.
WPP, more broadly, is at a critical turning point. CEO Cindy Rose announced during its fourth-quarter earnings call last week that WPP is abandoning the holding company model and plans to consolidate its many parts into four key divisions: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production, and WPP Enterprise Solutions. It’s part of a $676 million annual cost-cutting effort that arrives on the heels of WPP’s worst annual financial results since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, with additional declines projected.
Rose also suggested the company is exploring the potential divestiture of specific business units, though she did not name these divisions.
The ad giant’s multiyear downturn has been marked by major client losses including Coca-Cola, Mars, and Paramount (all to rival Publicis), the unceremonious departure of seven-year CEO Mark Read, and a stock price slumping under macroeconomic pressures and widespread AI anxieties.
