Jon Cook to Leave WPP After 30 Years as Eric Campbell Takes VML's Global Reins
Updated: 6 days ago
TL;DR: WPP has confirmed that Jon Cook, global CEO of VML and CEO of WPP Creative, will leave in March 2027 after 30 years, with long-time colleague Eric Campbell stepping up to run VML worldwide.
A Three-Decade Era Ends at WPP's Biggest Agency
WPP confirmed on 2 October 2026 that Jon Cook will depart in March 2027, closing out 30 years with the business and his tenure as global CEO of VML and CEO of WPP Creative. Eric Campbell, currently CEO of VML and WPP Creative in North America, will succeed him as global chief executive of the network.
Cook framed the move as pursuing the next chapter of his career, and will stay in post through the handover rather than leaving abruptly. For an agency the size of VML, that six-month runway is a deliberate signal to anxious clients that the transition is being managed, not rushed.
An Internal Succession, Not an Outside Gamble
Campbell is no parachute hire. He has spent more than 25 years inside the VML lineage, through its VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson eras, and WPP CEO Cindy Rose publicly credited him with shaping the network's client relationships, operational strength and culture.
That matters because the appointment lands while Rose is restructuring WPP against a falling share price and a run of high-profile account losses. Promoting a known quantity to steady the holding company's flagship creative network is a lower-risk bet than importing a star name and hoping the culture survives.
What It Says About the Holding-Company Model
VML was created in the 2024 merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson and now spans more than 55 markets. Under Cook it was named Campaign's 2026 Global Agency of the Year and ranked the number-two creative network at Cannes Lions 2026, so this is a leadership change at a position of strength, not a rescue.
It is also another entry in a long list of senior departures across the holding companies. When the people who built the client book start to move on, the real risk is not the org chart but the relationships that walk out of the building with them.
What Brands and Marketers Should Do Now
If your business sits inside a VML relationship, treat the next two quarters as the window to lock in continuity: get named account leads, senior staffing and service commitments confirmed in writing before the handover completes. A smooth transition on paper still needs to be felt by the client before it is announced.
For competitors and recruiters, a 30-year leader leaving is an opening, and talent tends to move in the slipstream of a CEO change. The practical lesson for any marketer is that agency stability is a procurement question worth asking out loud, not an assumption worth making.
Quick FAQ
Who is replacing Jon Cook as CEO of VML?
Eric Campbell, previously CEO of VML and WPP Creative in North America and a 25-year-plus veteran of the network, becomes global CEO of VML.
When is Jon Cook leaving WPP?
Cook will remain in post until March 2027 to manage the handover before leaving WPP entirely.
What is VML?
VML is WPP's largest agency, created in the 2024 merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, now operating across more than 55 markets.
Leadership changes at the top of a network are inevitable; what separates a smooth one from a costly one is whether clients feel the continuity before they read the press release. If you're a VML client, now is the moment to ask who owns your account next year. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
When a 30-year leader leaves your lead agency, the handover is a procurement issue: get continuity in writing before it is announced, not after.
Would a change of leadership at your agency make you review the relationship, or do you trust the bench behind the boss?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: WPP, Campaign UK, Adweek, Ad Age.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
