Singapore – WPP is consolidating the back-office operations of Ogilvy and Grey, which will include finance, HR and IT, globally.
The move will see functions such as finance, human resources and IT support now unified across the two agencies, rather than managed separately under each brand. This is consistent with a broader company drive toward efficiency and simplification amid ongoing industry headwinds.
This back-office consolidation follows WPP’s earlier decision in May to realign Grey under the Ogilvy network following its split from the AKQA group — a change intended to strengthen collaboration and reduce overlapping structures across the holding company’s creative offerings.
Earlier in May, an initial email sent to staff noted about Grey being realigned to Ogilvy, with leaders saying that they would “find opportunities to deepen collaboration and drive growth for both Grey and the broader Ogilvy network”. For them, they noted that is something that has been ongoing and is particularly reflective in new business where teams are working together and doing so with positive results.
Despite these consolidations, Ogilvy and Grey remain two distinct agency brands that service their clients respectively.
This year, Ogilvy has seen significant leadership moves across the region. In July, it had announced the appointment of Richard Brett as president of Ogilvy PR Asia-Pacific, as Emily Poon stepped down as president of Ogilvy PR Asia-Pacific after 17 years with the firm.
Over at ANZ, Ogilvy had tapped Dentsu Creative’s Kirsty Muddle as its new CEO for the region, leading Ogilvy Network ANZ across its full range of capabilities, including advertising, PR, social and influencer, customer engagement, consulting, and health.
In Indonesia, it had appointed Kapil Arora as its CEO, with the role taking effect on January 1, 2026; as the previous CEO Sieg Penaverde left the agency as well. Meanwhile, Ogilvy Group Singapore appointed Shirley Tay as its new chief executive officer, and oversaw the unified business operations across Ogilvy Singapore and Grey Singapore.
Earlier this month, Ogilvy Group Malaysia saw two senior leadership changes, with Irene Wong, currently CEO of Grey Malaysia, assuming the role of CEO of Ogilvy Group Malaysia, while Graham Drew, chief creative officer of Grey Malaysia, being appointed chief creative officer of Ogilvy Group Malaysia.
