VML Germany loses creative chief Simona Suman — and won't replace the role
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Simona Suman, chief creative officer of VML Germany, has left the WPP agency — and rather than name a direct successor, VML is reshaping the role, a small move that says a lot about how holding-company networks are rethinking creative leadership.
What's changed
VML Germany has confirmed that its chief creative officer, Simona Suman, has departed. According to German trade titles including Horizont and turi2, the agency does not plan to fill the CCO position directly, instead reshaping how creative leadership is structured. The news broke in mid-August 2026.
Suman had been a prominent creative voice at the WPP network, which was formed from the merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R. Her exit follows other recent leadership changes at VML Germany, including the appointment of a new CEO — a sign of a business in transition.
On its own, one CCO leaving a single market is a routine story. The detail that matters is the decision not to replace the role like-for-like, which points to a broader rethink of how big networks organise their most senior creatives.
Why 'no direct successor' is the real headline
Not backfilling a chief creative officer is rarely just cost-cutting. It usually signals one of two things: a move to spread creative leadership across a team rather than concentrate it in one star name, or a tighter integration of the local agency into a regional or global structure.
Both reflect the pressure holding companies are under. WPP has spent 2026 restructuring aggressively — its 'Elevate28' plan is built on becoming 'one company' — and flatter, more networked creative leadership fits that logic. The lone-genius CCO model is giving way to something more distributed.
There is a risk, though. Creative reputations are often built on a recognisable leader and a point of view. Diffuse that too far and an agency can lose the distinctiveness that wins pitches. The networks betting on distributed leadership are wagering that systems and culture can carry what a single name used to.
The Marketing Minute read
For brands choosing agencies, leadership changes like this are worth watching. Ask who now owns the creative vision on your account and whether the answer is a person or a process — both can work, but you should know which you are buying.
For agency talent, the trend is a reminder that senior creative careers are being reshaped. As networks flatten, influence increasingly comes from building teams and systems, not just from personal creative stardom — a meaningful shift in what 'seniority' rewards.
And for anyone building a business, it is a prompt about key-person risk. If your brilliance sits in one head, losing that person is a crisis. Structuring so your best thinking lives in a team and a way of working — not a single title — is how you make it durable.
Quick FAQ
What happened at VML Germany?
Chief creative officer Simona Suman has left VML Germany, WPP's creative network, and the agency does not plan to fill the CCO role directly, reshaping its creative leadership instead. It was reported in August 2026.
Why isn't VML replacing the CCO?
Not backfilling a top creative role usually signals a shift to distributed leadership or tighter integration into a regional structure — consistent with WPP's wider 2026 restructuring toward operating as 'one company'.
What does it mean for clients?
Clients should confirm who now owns the creative vision on their account, and whether that sits with an individual or a team — both models can work, but the accountability should be clear.
— Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
If your best thinking lives in one person's head, losing them is a crisis — durable brands build their brilliance into a team, not a title.
On your accounts, does the creative vision sit with a person or a process — and do you know which?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: HORIZONT and turi2.
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Written by Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
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