Mumbai: Josh Krichefski, GroupM’s EMEA CEO, has announced his departure from the company after 14 years.
In a LinkedIn post, Krichefski expressed gratitude to “all the clients, colleagues, partners, and even competitors who have supported me along the way.” His tenure at GroupM has been marked by leadership roles that shaped the agency’s direction, culminating in his appointment as GroupM UK and EMEA CEO following the merger of MediaCom and Essence in 2023.
As president of the IPA since 2023, Krichefski has been a strong advocate for a People First Agenda, emphasizing industry talent development. His dedication was evident when he became the first Future 100 Club ambassador and participated in an exclusive session where he stated, “The industry needs training to put its people first.” More recently, he was named one of the 25 founding members of the inaugural The Media Leader Club.
Krichefski announced he would be taking time off “to think about what comes next.” Reflecting on his journey, he wrote, “Staying no. 1 is hard. But when your people feel valued, listened to, and supported, anything is possible. I have always felt valued, and I hope my teams have too.”
Krichefski joined GroupM in 2011 as EMEA Chief Operating Officer at MediaCom (now EssenceMediacom). He was promoted to UK CEO of MediaCom in 2016 and later became EMEA CEO in 2019, followed by a role as global COO and EMEA CEO in 2020. After the MediaCom-Essence merger, he transitioned to GroupM UK and EMEA CEO, though he later stepped away from UK market responsibilities, with Kate Rowlinson taking over as GroupM UK CEO last autumn.
Krichefski’s exit comes amid a period of turbulence for WPP and GroupM. In its full-year 2024 earnings report, WPP reported a 0.7% decline in revenue, though GroupM managed a 2.7% year-on-year revenue increase. However, the company has faced notable client losses, including Coca-Cola’s US business and Sky Media’s UK account, both to Publicis. WPP also lost Starbucks’ US creative work to Stagwell’s Anomaly in January.
Internally, WPP CEO Mark Read has faced criticism over the firm’s return-to-office policy and his endorsement of advertisers resuming spending on X, despite brand safety concerns. GroupM itself has experienced significant staff turnover, including the departure of CEO Christian Juhl in September, who was replaced by Brian Lesser. Lesser has since implemented major strategic changes, including eliminating global agency CEO roles. Notably, Nick Lawson, Essencemediacom’s global CEO, exited in December, followed by the recent departure of global COO Frances Ralston-Good.
As GroupM continues its restructuring under Lesser’s leadership, Krichefski’s departure signals yet another shift in leadership at a crucial time for the company and its parent, WPP.
