The Ogilvy Group Names Carol Reed Global Chief Innovation Officer

NEW YORK, NY, April 8, 2026 - The Ogilvy Group today announced the appointment of Carol Reed as Global Chief Innovation Officer , a newly created role in which Reed will be responsible for developing and scaling new products, services, and business models that strengthen the agency's creative and strategic offering and driv e commercial opportunity for client s . Reed's appointment comes at a pivotal time for The Ogilvy Group as it advances new business wins and partnerships with world-class brands including Major League Soccer (MLS), Wal mart, Kenvue , Mar yKay , AirBnB Australia, Corporaci ó n Favorita , and Harley Da vidson among others. Reporting directly to Global CEO Laurent Ezekiel, Reed will partner closely with global leadership and teams across The Ogilvy Group - Ogilvy, Grey, DAVID, INGO, Thjnk - and broader WPP network to unlock a new era of strategic gr owth, evo lution and impact on behalf of clients .

Laurent Ezekiel, Global CEO of The Ogilvy Group: "Our greatest responsibility at Ogilvy is to uphold and modernize what has always made us exceptional-the power of human intelligence, imagination , and cultural influence-while anticipating the future world in which our clients' brands will live . Carol Reed is the ideal person to lead th is effort. Both for her deep understanding of the technology and commercial landscape, and profound co nviction that transformative innovation is always human at its core. I am proud to welcome Carol into this critical role and cannot wait to see the impact she builds ."

Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy: " Creativity thrives with innovation as its collaborator . Carol brings a rare ability to see where the industry is going and build the infrastructure to get us there first-without ever losing sight of what matters most: the ideas and the people behind them. I am thrilled to welcome her as a champion of Ogilvy's creative culture and ambition."

As Global Chief Innovation Officer, Reed's remit spans the full innovation ecosystem -from incubating proprietary platforms and establishing strategic partnerships , to modernizing capabilities across the network and supporting new business acquisition s that provide client partners with the most advanced opportunities . Driving Reed's work is an unequivocal focus on how the marketing ecosystem is fundamentally evolving as cultural intersections like sports and entertainment newly inform and influence brand- consumer connections. To accelerate this strategic reframe, Reed's work across the Ogilvy network will include fostering deeper insight and collaboration between creative, strategy, data, and technology disciplines , and maximizin g Ogilvy 's connection to WPP's enterprise capabilities and platforms, including WPP Open, to deliver integrated, scaled solutions for clients. Core to this effort will be a dvancing an innovation strategy that translates AI maturity into meaningful new value for brands-powering AI systems that protect and elevate the idea-led differentiation that has defined Ogilvy's work for over 75 years. Here , Reed brings a passionate advocacy of AI that augment s human creativity and enhance s the role of human craft, judgment, and imagination -with an emphasis on deepening adoption, reshaping how teams work, and solving for pain points across the creative ecosystem .

"I've spent my career at the intersection of creativity, technology, and commerce, and I've never been more excited about what's possible than I am right now," said Reed. "Ogilvy has something that no algorithm can replicate: a vast legacy of culture-changing, business-driving ideas . My job is to build the new products, platforms, and partnerships that amplify that impact - catalyzing Ogilvy's relentless spirit of innovation to mak e creativ e possibilities more expansive and human talent more extraordinary . I am deeply honored to be building that future alongside Laurent, Liz, and th e entire network ."

Reed joins Ogilvy from WPP Open X, where she served as Chief Innovation Officer, leading global advisory on AI, data, and innovation programs for The Coca-Cola Company. She brings more than two decades of experience in digital marketing and ad tech, with a career defined by identifying transformative opportunities at the intersection of brand marketing strategy, technology, and human behavior. Prior to her role at WPP Open X, Reed held a senior data strategy leadership role within WPP, where she oversaw the creation of innovative data platforms that are now embedded across WPP's broader media and technology infrastructure. Before WPP, she spent 15 years at Publicis Groupe, where she led the creation of an in-house programmatic media team and converted back-office ad operations into a global media technology practice.

About Ogilvy

Ogilvy has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy 75 years ago. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity-innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across more than 120 offices spanning 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Contact: Kappie Kopp / [email protected]