Ogilvy names Fiona Gordon global CEO of advertising
James Murphy to become CEO of Ogilvy Group UK following WPP acquisition of New Commercial Arts.
Ogilvy announced that Fiona Gordon has been promoted to Global CEO of Advertising.
In her new role, Gordon will be responsible for ensuring the creative network’s advertising, brand, and content capabilities are constantly evolving and adapting to meet the demands clients face in today's dynamic marketing landscape. She will report to Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO of Ogilvy, and join the agency’s Global Executive Committee. Gordon has served as CEO of Ogilvy UK since 2021 and has led a resurgence for the agency in the market. In 2024, Ogilvy UK ranked as #1 creative agency in the UK on WARC's 2024 Creative 100 list, the definitive benchmark for creative success.
Bulchandani said: “Fiona is a proven champion of creativity, trusted partner to many of our top clients, and passionate steward of the founder culture that makes Ogilvy shine. She leads with both her head and her heart, inspiring those around her with her vision and her unwavering belief in the power of the talent she works with. That is what has propelled Ogilvy UK forward during her tenure as CEO, and now I’m thrilled that our global network will benefit from her leadership as she steps into this role.”
Gordon added: “I'm invigorated by the boundless potential of creativity to not only propel businesses forward but to leave an indelible mark on culture. Collaborating more closely with Dev, Liz, and Ogilvy’s Worldwide Creative Council to harness our network’s collective creative brilliance on behalf of our clients is a tremendous opportunity to create work that drives real impact in today’s ever evolving landscape."
Gordon’s promotion comes as WPP announced that it has acquired New Commercial Arts (NCA), a leading independent creative and customer experience agency (more information available here). NCA will join Ogilvy’s global creative network alongside Ogilvy UK to further accelerate the agency’s momentum in the UK market. Both Ogilvy UK and NCA will come under the leadership of James Murphy as CEO Ogilvy Group UK. NCA was founded in 2020 by a team including industry leaders James Murphy and David Golding and became the fastest-growing agency in the UK in 2023. Murphy and Golding previously founded Adam&Eve in 2008 and built it into one of the most influential agencies to launch in the UK.
Gordon's career at Ogilvy has spanned leadership roles across three continents (EMEA, Asia, USA) since starting as a graduate trainee in the 1990s. As CEO of Ogilvy UK since 2021, Gordon has overseen all aspects of the agency's operations, including Advertising, Customer Experience, PR & Influence, Health, and Consulting. Under her leadership, Ogilvy UK recently secured significant new business wins, including Molson Coors and Valeo Foods UK, the maker of popular snack brands KETTLE Chips and Rowse Honey. These wins are complemented by numerous industry accolades. Ogilvy Consulting was named to the Financial Times’ list of the UK's Leading Consulting Firms for the seventh consecutive year, with acclaim for its award-winning Behavioral Science practice, which hosted the 12th annual Nudgestock event, the world's largest festival of behavioral science and creativity. This summer Ogilvy UK’s influence marketing team helped the global agency earn the Best Large Influencer Marketing Agency title at the Global Influencer Marketing Awards.
Prior to leading the Ogilvy UK, Gordon held various roles including Chief Client Officer for Ogilvy EMEA and WPP UK Team Lead for Walgreens Boots Alliance, where she built a multi-awarding winning team of experts across WPP who not only drove strong business results, but secured Boots’ highest brand reputation scores in 10 years. From 2011-2015 she served as Group Chairperson of Ogilvy Singapore where she revitalised the business and garnered a string of industry accolades including SE Asia Agency of the Year and SE Asia Agency Head of the Year.
Throughout her career she has also led accounts including Unilever, American Express, GSK, Singtel, and Mondelez. Fiona is a dedicated and active member of numerous industry organisations. She sits on the Advisory Board of Stella (WPP's Women's Network) and the IPA Council, is a member of WACL and the American European Business Association board, and co-chairs the Creative and Cultural Action Group for Make London a Living Wage City, in addition to participating in the WACL Talent Sessions committee. In 2021, she was named to Ad Age’s annual list of Leading Women.