WPP appoints McCann global CEO Tyler Turnbull to lead WPP Creative

MUMBAI: WPP is looking to get its creative gears turning in unison, appointing McCann global CEO Tyler Turnbull as the incoming CEO of WPP Creative from early 2027. Turnbull will succeed Jon Cook as the advertising group seeks to bring its creative agencies closer together and connect their work more tightly with its wider business capabilities.

Turnbull joins WPP after leading McCann globally. Before that, he spent 12 years at FCB, holding leadership positions across Canada, North America and global operations. WPP said his tenure at FCB helped drive business growth and creative recognition.

Turnbull’s brief will go beyond overseeing a network of agencies. He is expected to connect WPP’s creative businesses with its media, data, production, commerce and technology capabilities, giving clients a more integrated approach to growth. Artificial intelligence will also play a role in bringing these services together.

The group plans to use its WPP Open platform and creative talent to make its wider capabilities more accessible to clients, linking creative development more directly with business outcomes. The move signals a push to make the group’s different strengths work together without losing what makes each agency distinctive.

WPP chief executive Cindy Rose said the appointment reflected the company’s ambition to put creativity at the centre of client growth and combine the strengths of its agencies.

“Tyler is a world-class leader with the ambition, global perspective and creative conviction to lead the next chapter of WPP Creative. His appointment reflects our determination to bring together the very best of WPP for our clients, put creativity at the centre of growth and set a new standard for the industry. I am delighted that he is joining WPP,” Rose said.

Turnbull said his ambition was to combine the reach of the wider group with the individual identities and cultures of its agencies, while giving creative talent the conditions to do its best work.

“Together with our exceptional teams, my ambition for WPP Creative is to set a new standard for our industry: connected enough to bring WPP’s full strength to every client, distinctive enough to protect the unique magic and cultures of our iconic brands, and extraordinary enough to nurture the industry’s most creative talent as we drive meaningful business growth for our partners,” he said.

Calling the opportunity to lead WPP Creative at a pivotal moment a tremendous honour, Turnbull added that he looked forward to working with Rose, Cook and the agency leadership teams to unlock the group’s capabilities for clients and help its talent produce the best work of their careers.

The transition places creative integration, technology and AI at the centre of WPP’s next phase. Turnbull’s challenge will be to turn that ambition into a model that delivers connected services for clients while allowing the group’s agencies to retain their own creative identities.