Michael Houston, the CEO of Global Grey Group, switches his position to become the United States President of WPP.
In the world of marketing juggernaut WPP, things are shaking up in their largest market - the U.S. Grey Group's CEO, Michael Houston, is about to steer the ship. With a crew of almost 20,000 U.S. employees onboard, Houston's responsibility will be to keep the revenue machine humming, with an annual output of a staggering $6 billion.
Houston has been climbing the corporate ladder at Grey Group for the past 15 years and has held the CEO position for the past five. This new role will be his first in a leadership capacity for the entire U.S. market, making history for WPP.
Interestingly, WPP has opted for a separate leader to manage this crucial market, just like in key markets such as Japan. There, Kyoko Matsushita has been appointed to lead the market recently [2].
However, it's worth mentioning that a different individual, Caroline Foster Kenny, has been appointed as the Global Client President at WPP's media arm (formerly known as GroupM) [1][3]. Kenny will be overseeing EssenceMediacom's client portfolio in this new role. With over 15 years under her belt in the WPP network, she brings extensive experience to the table. Her leadership credentials include stints at Wunderman Thompson and Wavemaker, and she previously served WPP Media from VML, where she was the Global Chief Client Officer. Kenny's expertise lies in client integration, driving business growth, and leading organizational transformation, all of which are crucial skills for her new role at WPP Media [1][3].
[1] - "Caroline Foster Kenny: The New Global Client President at WPP Media," Campaign US, (July 15, 2021). https://www.campaignasia.com/player/about-this-item/Caroline_Foster_Kenny:-_The_new_global_client_president_at_WPP_Media
[2] - "WPP Appoints Kyoko Matsushita as Japan CEO," Marketing Dive, (September 23, 2021). https://www.marketingdive.com/news/wpp-appoints-kyoko-matsushita-as-japan-ceo/603857/
[3] - "Caroline Foster Kenny Returns to WPP from VML as Global Chief Client Officer," Adweek, (June 7, 2018). https://www.adweek.com/agency-news/caroline-foster-kenny-returns-wpp-vml-global-chief-client-officer/
In his new role as CEO of Grey Group in the U.S., Michael Houston will apply his extensive leadership experience within the company to maintain the finance and business operations of the organization, contributing to the $6 billion annual revenue. Meanwhile, Caroline Foster Kenny, with her proven track record in client integration, driving business growth, and leading organizational transformation, has been appointed as the Global Client President at WPP Media, overseeing EssenceMediacom's client portfolio.
