Mumbai: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as the CEO of WPP Creative in India, marking a significant step in the network’s efforts to streamline leadership and strengthen its integrated creative offering in key markets.
The appointment comes as part of WPP’s broader strategic shift to create a lean regional leadership structure aimed at developing and scaling the WPP Creative operating model. This model is designed to unify the capabilities of its creative, design, and public relations agencies under a more collaborative and client-centric framework.
In her new role, Pathak will represent and oversee coordination across WPP’s portfolio of agencies in India, including VML, Ogilvy, Burson, AKQA, Landor, and Design Bridge & Partners, among others.
According to the company’s press statement, Pathak will work closely with individual agency brand CEOs to enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless access for clients to WPP’s full talent pool. The move underscores WPP’s intent to break down silos and deliver more unified, end-to-end solutions to clients in an increasingly complex marketing landscape.
The company emphasised that while integration is a key focus, its iconic agency brands will continue to play a central role within the ecosystem. The strategy aims to balance brand autonomy with collaborative strength, ensuring that clients benefit from both specialised expertise and collective scale.
Pathak’s elevation is also indicative of WPP’s continued focus on India as a strategic growth market, where demand for integrated creative, technology, and communications solutions is rapidly evolving.
With this leadership transition, WPP is expected to accelerate its push towards integrated creative excellence, aligning talent, capabilities, and innovation more closely with client needs.
