Mumbai: WPP today announced the appointment of Elav Horwitz as its first Chief Innovation Officer, a new leadership role created to strengthen the company’s position in applied AI and to deliver cutting-edge, technology-driven solutions for clients worldwide.
In her new role, Elav will be responsible for connecting WPP’s global ecosystem of technology partners with its creative and strategic talent. She will focus on fostering a culture of collaboration and agile innovation to drive applied AI and client transformation—redefining how brands engage with commerce, content, and culture. Elav will continue to report to Stephan Pretorius, Chief Technology Officer, WPP.
A leading voice in responsible technology and creative innovation, Elav also serves as an advisor to the Spotify and Meta Creative Councils and is a founding member of the leadership community Chief.
Her appointment underscores WPP’s continued investment in technology and data and follows a series of strategic hires that bolster its innovation capabilities, including Daniel Barak as WPP’s first Global Creative and Innovation Lead, Sarah Salter as VP of Global Partnerships & AI Innovation, and Mathieu Albrand as Director of AI Strategy and Innovation.
“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at WPP, and Elav’s promotion to Chief Innovation Officer together with the world-class team she is assembling underscores our commitment to actively shape the future of our industry,” said Stephan Pretorius, Chief Technology Officer, WPP. “She will be instrumental in ensuring our company remains at the center of technology-driven innovation, translating the power of applied AI into concrete solutions that drive material business impact for our clients.”
“Never before has the need for innovation and agility been more critical than in our AI era,” said Elav Horwitz, Chief Innovation Officer, WPP. “We must show our teams, clients and the entire industry what’s possible by uniting the best talents, capabilities, partners and a forward-thinking mindset, enabling us to deliver results in a matter of hours and make the future both tangible and democratised.”
“As we rewrite the marketing playbook for the AI era, we’re thrilled to have Elav lead our innovation agenda,” said Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP. “This appointment underscores our investment to embed innovation into the core of everything we do, ensuring our clients benefit from the most advanced and effective solutions.”
Under Elav’s leadership, WPP’s innovation team will focus on three core pillars designed to deliver transformative client outcomes:
Innovative Talent:
Building on WPP’s network of over 50 emerging creative technologists from its Creative Tech Apprenticeship Programme, Elav’s team will drive rapid prototyping, experimentation, and AI-powered production for brands. The programme—now expanding with Google as the primary curriculum partner—trains participants in creative coding, generative AI, and robotics over nine weeks to solve real-world client challenges.
Cutting-Edge Technology Models:
WPP will deepen client access to advanced AI models through strategic collaborations with Adobe, Amazon, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Roblox, Spotify, Stability AI, TikTok, Universal Music Group, and Vercel, among others. WPP will also partner with emerging AI startups, integrating their technologies into its ecosystem to deliver campaign-ready assets in days and achieve efficiency gains of up to 70%.
Innovation in Motion:
Elav’s team will champion co-creation through WPP Open and WPP Open Pro, embedding AI across creative, production, and media workflows. A new AI Client Council will invite key clients to test and scale emerging technologies collaboratively, accelerating adoption and impact across industries.
These initiatives are already driving measurable outcomes, with recent projects such as AKQA’s “The Generative Store” showcasing new standards in personalized retail and campaign innovation.
Elav’s appointment follows the launch of WPP Open Pro, the latest version of WPP’s AI marketing platform that empowers clients to independently plan, create, and publish campaigns—bringing the company’s world-class AI capabilities directly to brands of all sizes.
