- Tamara Ingram, global chairman of the Wunderman Thompson ad agency network and one of the first female CEOs in advertising, is stepping down.
- Insiders saw the news as a sign of ongoing consolidation at the network's parent, ad holding company giant WPP, and the decline of JWT, the world's oldest ad agency.
- WPP CEO Mark Read was set to announce the news in a memo to leadership February 21.
- Wunderman merged with J. Walter Thompson a year ago. Ingram first joined WPP 16 years ago and had led the key Procter & Gamble account.
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Tamara Ingram, global chairman of ad agency Wunderman Thompson, is stepping down just over one year after its holding company WPP merged digital firm Wunderman with creative agency J. Walter Thompson (JWT) to create the new organization.
WPP CEO Mark Read was set to announce the news February 21 in an internal memo to leadership that was obtained by Business Insider.
A Wunderman Thompson spokesperson declined to comment. Ingram did not respond to a request for comment.
Ingram has been a top executive at WPP, the world's largest ad holding company, for more than 15 years after former CEO Martin Sorrell hired her to manage key client Procter & Gamble. She rose to become CEO of J. Walter Thompson, then became chairman when it merged with Wunderman in 2019.
Her exit is the latest in a series of senior-level changes at the organization formerly known as JWT, which was founded in 1864 and is generally known as the world's oldest ad agency.
Ingram's role marks a new step in the restructuring of WPP
While WPP retains the JWT name in some regions around the world, former employees said Ingram's new position marks a further consolidation of JWT into Wunderman, which recently absorbed several smaller firms in North America.
A number of top JWT executives have left in the past year. They include North America CEO Simon Pearce, Europe CEO Toby Hoare, Canada president and CEO Susan Kim-Kirkland, global chief talent officer Laura Agostini, and global CFO and COO Lew Trencher.
The memo says Ingram will continue working for the agency for the immediate future while dedicating more time to outside interests; she is a board member of reinsurance giant Marsh & McLennan and trustee at Save the Children International.
Ingram held top roles at some of the UK's biggest ad agencies
Ingram started her career as an account director at Saatchi & Saatchi in 1982 and led that agency for more than a decade as co-CEO and chairman before joining McCann and then Grey London.
When WPP acquired Grey in 2004 for $1.52 billion, WPP's Sorrell promoted her to oversee its relationship with P&G. A decade later, she rose to chief client team officer, making her one of the most powerful female executives in the ad industry.
Mel Edwards, who had been CEO of Europe, the Middle East and Asia at Wunderman reporting to Mark Read, became global CEO of the new entity as Ingram took on the more ceremonial chairman title.
The memo states that Ingram will become a non-executive chairman and leave WPP by the end of the year. One person with direct knowledge of the matter, who is known to Business Insider but spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss it, said Ingram's role wouldn't be filled.
Read the full memo below.
Subject: Tamara Ingram
After helping to create and guide Wunderman Thompson through its first year as Chairman, Tamara Ingram is moving to the new role of Non-Executive Chair before stepping down formally later this year.
I have known Tam in her different roles at WPP for the last 17 years and can attest to the passion and commitment she has brought to each and every one of them.
As CEO of Futures Group and Added Value, Tam oversaw acquisitions that helped transform both companies. She subsequently led WPP's P&G account, where her remarkable relationship-building skills were instrumental in winning Gillette as a prestigious client. In 2004, she became Chief Client Officer for WPP, overseeing our global accounts.
When Tam was named Worldwide CEO of J. Walter Thompson in 2016, she made history as the first woman to lead the agency. Later, when I spoke to Tam and Mel about bringing J. Walter Thompson and Wunderman together during 2018, Tam embraced the idea and worked closely with Mel to integrate the two agencies - creating a single powerhouse built to inspire growth for its clients.
Tam has been a great friend and colleague to me, as I am sure she has been to many of you. I have learned a tremendous amount from her about our industry and what makes it special, and this has been invaluable to me. Having watched her in action, not only do I have a few stories, but I can say that there are few better at building relationships between clients and agencies that get the best out of both.
Throughout her career, Tam has dedicated herself to causes and interests beyond the world of advertising - from promoting London's tourism industry as chair of Visit London (for which she was awarded the OBE) to serving on the board of Save the Children in the UK and as a current trustee of the charity internationally.
As she takes up this new role, and subsequently moves on to even more new challenges, please join me in thanking Tam for her leadership and outstanding contributions over the years, both to our agencies and to WPP as a whole.
I am sure she will remain part of our extended family and very much in touch with us.
Mark
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