Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) announced that Kristen Cavallo will be retiring as global CEO of MullenLowe this spring and will remain available to the company in an advisory capacity until 2025. Cavallo said that her next move will include applying her deep and varied communications experience to political and societal causes.
A strategist turned CEO, Cavallo is recognized for crafting strategies and competitive positionings that result in business growth. While awarded in her career for her client work, she is also known for caring deeply for the agencies and the people she works with and leads.
In 2022, Cavallo was named Global CEO of international creative network MullenLowe. Since then, she’s overseen key new business wins and further diversified the leadership teams and workforce of the global network. In 2023, six MullenLowe agencies won “Agency of the Year” honors in their respective international markets, and three additional female CEOs were appointed in key markets.
Prior to her role at MullenLowe, Cavallo spent six years as CEO of The Martin Agency.
“Kristen is a great partner and champion of creativity,” noted Jose Miguel Sokoloff, president of the MullenLowe Global Creative Council. “I admire how she uses her voice in the industry, addressing important social and business issues. She is fearless in advocating for the fair value of creativity as a force for business growth. In her time at MullenLowe she’s made an indelible mark, with a dynamic new visual identity and a powerful go-to-market proposition, as well as keeping faith with our commitment to equitable leadership. Kristen’s blend of brilliance and warmth is inspiring for our colleagues and partners.”
Cavallo recently announced her successors as CEOs appointing Frank Cartagena at MullenLowe U.S. and Danny Robinson at The Martin Agency. Both were previous chief creative officers who bring those skill sets to the role. Alex Leikikh, Interpublic executive VP and MullenLowe global chairman, will resume Global MullenLowe CEO responsibilities, a role he held previously.
Martin CEO Robinson said, “Unless you’ve been living under an advertising rock, you have a pretty good idea of the transformative acts that have helped define Kristen’s time as CEO at Martin. With her dedication to defending our value as an industry, she’s a great example of leadership. And Kristen wields her influence with a combination of passion and grace. She helped shape the trajectory of my career, and reinforced for all of us at Martin what it feels like to be fearless. Like so many of us, I’ve always been proud to call her my partner and my friend.”
Cavallo joined Mullen in 1994 as employee #174. She fell in love with advertising, its people, and its possibilities.
“One of my favorite things about advertising is how it satisfies your curiosity–I’ve worked across multiple industries and with brands of all sizes. I’ve also learned how to stand firm in times of uncertainty and to look for what’s possible in the heart of a problem. I can’t think of a better launch pad for the rest of my life,” Cavallo said.
After a 30-year career in the industry, Cavallo looks forward to applying her expertise to political and societal causes she cares about.
“As I think about where I’ll direct my energies next, I’ve been wondering if many of our nation’s problems are ultimately marketing and communications problems: how we connect with one another, how we unify, how we fulfill our promises. These questions have been really taking over my headspace. I want to apply what I’ve learned to the kinds of issues I care most about at this stage in my life.”
Cavallo has remained a visible industry champion for DEI throughout her career and has transformed the leadership teams at the agencies she has led by making them more diverse. For the past 14 years, Cavallo also has sponsored children through nonprofit New Hope Homes, which provides a home for orphaned and abandoned children in Rwanda and supports their education.
Leikikh added, “I’ve worked with Kristen for over a dozen years, which has been a highlight of my career. She’s a brilliant strategist, insightful client whisperer, creative champion, and people nurturer. Kristen is also an intrepid global explorer who ties her personal experiences and world view to our work. We will miss that, but no doubt Kristen will have a notable impact on the world beyond advertising and we’ll all stay tuned in to see what she can accomplish.”
