MAM
FM Schmidt joins WPP as president in Germany
Mumbai: WPP has announced the appointment of Frank-Michael ‘FM’ Schmidt, who is Scholz & Friends Family CEO, as the first president of its German business.
In leading WPP’s third largest market, FM will be instrumental in shaping the company’s business in Germany, supporting agency leadership teams, and promoting a strong WPP culture. From 1 January 2023, when he officially steps into the role, he will be responsible for bringing together the best talent and resources from across the company and connecting the capabilities of WPP’s 7,000 people in the market to deliver transformational growth for clients.
Alongside his new position at WPP, FM will remain in post as Scholz & Friends Family CEO, which is part of the VMLY&R network and whose clients include VW, McDonald’s, Sparkasse, and the Federal Republic of Germany. He will also continue to serve on VMLY&R’s global leadership team, a role he has held since 2021.
FM joined the WPP network in 1998 at J. Walter Thompson, later becoming the chief strategy officer of its German business. In 2003, he joined Scholz & Friends as CEO in Germany, and in 2008, he was named CEO of the Scholz & Friends Family, which operates across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Originally from Berlin, FM studied political science, philosophy, and communication science at the Freie Universität Berlin and began his career as a journalist before moving into marketing and communications.
Schmidt said, “I am delighted to become president of WPP in Germany, and I see this first-ever appointment as a strong signal of the increasing importance of the German market. It is an exciting task to find common interests and to create common ground between our strong agency brands to unlock the full potential of WPP’s capabilities for the benefit of both our clients and our people. I am very much looking forward to opening a new chapter for WPP in Germany, together with some of the brightest minds in our industry.”
WPP CEO Mark Read said, “FM’s exceptional track record at Scholz & Friends Family, his valuable contribution to the WPP network over the last 24 years, and his extensive knowledge of the German market make him the natural fit for this important role in our third largest market.”
WPP COO Andrew Scott added, “Having worked with FM for a number of years, I am certain that under his leadership, our people and agencies will be supported in continuing to deliver outstanding creative work. I look forward to working with him in his new role as we further drive growth opportunities for our clients and for WPP in Germany.”
Brands
Coforge launches Voyager.AI & FlightFlex.AI to boost airline operations
New platforms target real-time personalisation and smoother disruption handling
GREATER NOIDA: Coforge has introduced two AI-native solutions, Voyager.AI and FlightFlex.AI, aimed at helping airlines worldwide enhance customer experience while improving operational efficiency.
The move comes as airlines accelerate investments in modern retailing and digital transformation, where the ability to act on real-time data is fast becoming a key differentiator. Coforge’s new platforms are designed to address both sides of the equation, customer engagement and operational resilience.
Voyager.AI focuses on delivering personalised passenger experiences. By combining booking data, loyalty insights and behavioural signals into a unified real-time traveller profile, the platform enables airlines to create tailored offers and interactions across the customer journey. Using AI-led decisioning and predictive modelling, it shifts airlines away from static segmentation towards dynamic, context-driven engagement.
FlightFlex.AI, meanwhile, targets disruption management, one of the industry’s most persistent challenges. Whether caused by weather, crew constraints or operational bottlenecks, disruptions can quickly escalate across airline networks. The platform brings together AI-driven decision support, automated rebooking and proactive passenger communication to streamline recovery and reduce delays.
Coforge chief officer, strategy and growth Erika Moore said, “With Voyager.AI and FlightFlex.AI we are enabling airlines to make decisions in real-time.” She added that the solutions are built on deep operational expertise and are designed to support airlines as they transition towards more customer-centric, “retail-like” experiences.
The company said both platforms integrate with existing airline systems and are built to scale across multi-hub, multi-fleet and multi-regulatory environments, making them suitable for global carriers.
As airlines look to balance rising passenger expectations with operational pressures, Coforge’s latest offering signals a growing shift towards AI-led decision-making, where every interaction, and every disruption, becomes an opportunity to improve the journey.
