Morel leaves the agency after 14 years; WPP Digital CEO Read was named chairman last year.
Mark Read, CEO of WPP Digital, will succeed Daniel Morel as global CEO of the holding company’s digital agency network Wunderman, effective 1 February 2015.
Morel will become non-executive chairman.
Read, who became chairman of Wunderman last year, will continue in his WPP Digital role, but will step down from the board of WPP.
Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP, said, “Under Daniel’s leadership, Wunderman has become a global powerhouse that is consistently ranked among the world’s top digital agencies. After 14 highly successful years, he has decided it is the right time to pass the torch. As CEO of WPP Digital, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge in digital technology and its application to marketing services, as well as strong links with our new media partners.”
Morel said, “It has been a privilege to follow in the steps of Lester Wunderman at the head of this great company. I cannot be more proud of what the team has achieved over the past 14 years. Having worked closely with Mark for the last six months, I can say without hesitation that he is the perfect leader to continue to develop Wunderman and, indeed, take it to new heights.”
Read added, “Wunderman is extremely well-positioned to help clients succeed in a marketing world being reshaped by companies including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Tencent. It can bring clients a powerful combination of creativity, data and technology, allowing them to build much more personal connections with their customers and drive business results. Daniel and his team have transformed this business, and I’m looking forward to working with the people of Wunderman on the next stage of its growth.”