Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) is making senior leadership changes that will translate into significant new responsibilities for key executives within the holding company. Daryl Lee, previously the global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, has been named global CEO for McCann Worldgroup. Eileen Kiernan meanwhile has been named global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, succeeding Lee in that role. And Bill Kolb, the current CEO of McCann Worldgroup, will remain chairman of the division. While these changes take effect immediately, the three executives will continue working with their existing teams and clients over the next month to ensure that all necessary transitional actions related to their new roles are complete by September 6, 2022.
IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky noted Lee’s long record of leadership success, across both the media and creative agency landscape, as catalysts for his being named to helm the company’s flagship creatively focused global network. Krakowsky also noted the depth and breadth of Kiernan’s experience and exceptional results helping brands achieve long-term transformation goals as key drivers for her being elevated to lead IPG’s media assets. The new role will see her become one of the senior-most female executives in the advertising sector.
Since 2019, Lee has served as global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, a client-first, consultative community of 13,000 media and marketing solutions specialists in 130+ countries. During his tenure, Mediabrands has been known for its winning culture and integration of data and technology to power audience-led marketing that delivers business results. Lee has also been a champion of inclusion in media investment, notably through the industry’s first “Equity Upfronts,” which Mediabrands introduced in 2020. For the previous six and a half years, Lee was global CEO of UM, a global media and advertising agency within the IPG Mediabrands family. He is a long-term member of the board of directors of the Effie Awards, having previously served as its chairman, and most recently served as president of the Media Jury at the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Lee initially joined Interpublic as global president and head of global strategy at UM, before moving to McCann, where he served in two key global roles before returning to UM. Hailing from South Africa, Lee earned a Doctor of Philosophy at Oxford University (which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar) and began his business career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company.
“I’m excited to combine McCann Worldgroup’s exceptional strategic and creative strength with the ways in which we’ve harnessed data and technology in the media world to accelerate growth for our clients. A hybrid mindset that understands both content and distribution is something that many clients have been demanding and it’s what is required for growth in the 21st century. I am thankful for the opportunity to help make that a reality in the marketplace. All the agencies within McCann Worldgroup are world-class and together we have the power to unlock unstoppable momentum for brands. It’s an honor to come home to McCann in this role, and I’m very much looking forward to working with Bill and the entire McCann Worldgroup family again,” commented Lee.
For the past nine and a half years, Kiernan served in a succession of increasingly senior global leadership positions at UM, rising from CMO of the agency to global president to CEO. She was a key driver of the development of a dedicated agency model that for nearly a decade has incorporated data-led decision-making to media planning and buying for Johnson & Johnson, was a key member of Lee’s team that differentiated UM through its “Better Science, Better Art, Better Outcomes” positioning, and most recently launched the agency’s “Future Proof” business model, which incorporates close collaboration with other Mediabrands units and Interpublic’s Acxiom and Kinesso offerings to uncover new sources of growth for clients. Prior to UM, Kiernan held leadership roles at media agencies, as well as on the client and media-owner sides of the business.
Kiernan said, “Like Daryl, I am a true believer in Media for Good–media that is responsible, equitable and ethical–and I look forward to doubling down on our commitment to make media a positive societal force through relentless innovation and new industry standards. Our people and connectivity as a community are what drives us all forward, and I will continue to champion global initiatives that improve our internal processes, inspire our people and reflect our values.”
For an initial period, Kiernan will remain in her UM role, in addition to her new IPG Mediabrands responsibilities. A new CEO for the UM network will be named later this year, though a timetable for that appointment has yet to be finalized.
Prior to his role as CEO for McCann Worldgroup, Kolb served as COO of the network, where he was responsible for overseeing business operations across all agencies and markets. Kolb’s long and successful history within McCann Worldgroup spans over two decades, inclusive of client leadership roles, as well as operating leadership at MRM and Momentum.
“I’m proud of all that we’ve been able to accomplish here at Worldgroup over the last two decades. Being part of the leadership teams at Momentum, MRM and here at Worldgroup, I’ve seen firsthand the magic and business results we can create for our clients when we help their brands play a meaningful role in people’s lives. I look forward to working with Daryl as he carries our work forward, and with Philippe on broader group initiatives,” said Kolb.
