Jon Cook to leave WPP after three decades, Eric Campbell to lead VML

KANSAS: Thirty years, one agency, and a very big goodbye. Jon Cook, global chief executive of VML and chief executive of WPP Creative, has decided to leave WPP to pursue the next chapter of his career, following more than three decades of transformative leadership. The exit is not immediate. Cook will remain fully in both roles until March 2027 to support a seamless transition, and Eric Campbell, currently chief executive of VML and WPP Creative in North America, will become global chief executive of VML from that month.

WPP said Cook helped shape VML from its beginnings in Kansas City into one of the world’s most admired creative networks. He built enduring client partnerships, championed creativity and innovation, and fostered a culture defined by optimism, generosity and care for people. The impact of his connective spirit, his love of the work done with clients and his human first philosophy, the company said, will be lasting. WPP thanked him for his extraordinary contribution to VML, WPP Creative and WPP, and congratulated Campbell as he prepares to lead VML into its next era, building on strong foundations and continued momentum for clients and people. Campbell will continue as chief executive of WPP Creative North America.

“The hardest decision I’ve ever made”

Cook announced the move on LinkedIn in personal terms. “Thirty years ago, I walked through the doors of an independent, digital-first agency in Kansas City with 28 employees,” he wrote, adding that he could never have imagined the journey would shape his entire adult life. He called the decision exciting personally but not without huge emotion, and the hardest he has ever made.

He said he loves both VML and WPP, and that he “bleeds VML”. He also voiced huge respect for the iconic agencies his WPP Creative role let him get close to: AKQA, Burson, Design Bridge and Partners, Grey, Landor, Ogilvy and more. Powerhouses, all of them, in his words.

His confidence in the businesses, he said, has never been stronger. VML is Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year, and it is fresh off being named the number two creative network in the world at Cannes Lions, where it won more Gold Lions than anyone on the planet. Across WPP, he said, the outlook and momentum are undeniably positive, and now is the right moment for new voices to lead the next era.

A friend takes the chair

Cook said it feels completely natural for Campbell to step in. Campbell has been his partner and close friend for more than 25 years and understands the heart of the agency as well as anyone on earth. Cook said he trusts him with “this entire professional family” with everything he has, and the pair will work hand in hand over the coming months.

He thanked Cindy Rose OBE for her generous support and mentorship, and said he trusts the next leader of WPP Creative she selects to carry these legendary brands forward in the right spirit. He called her a true class act in how she has treated, empowered and taught him, and, most recently, a great supportive friend and boss to talk to about the decision.

He also paid tribute to the founders of VML: John Valentine, Scott McCormick and Craig Ligibel. Together with Matt Anthony, they won VML’s first client, Chris Clouser, in 1992, and the rest is history. Without their bravery, Cook said, the landscape and his life would look very different.

“This is not a time for goodbye,” he wrote. He will save the rest of his thank-yous for next year, with a lot to do before then, and his focus until March is 100 per cent on VML, WPP Creative, its people and its client partners. He promised to share more about the future when the time is right, with big plans, but that is next year’s news. He signed off with immense gratitude and pride.

The Cook record

In February 2026 Cook was named global chief executive of WPP Creative, which includes agencies such as VML, Ogilvy, Burson, AKQA, Landor, and Design Bridge and Partners. WPP Creative is one of WPP’s four operating units, alongside Enterprise Solutions, Media and Production. Cook is a member of WPP’s executive committee.

WPP Creative is the home of WPP’s iconic agencies, connected through a unified leadership structure and WPP Open. Each agency keeps its distinct culture, capability and brand, while clients get open access to the full breadth of WPP’s creative talent. With creativity, craft and culture at its heart, it is built to deliver consistent growth for some of the most respected brands in the world.

Cook is also global chief executive of VML, an agency he has been an integral part of for 30 years. VML was created in 2024 by uniting VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson. It is a global network of 25,000 marketing professionals across more than 55 markets. Its client partners include AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company and Wendy’s. Its principal offices are in Detroit, Kansas City, London, New York City, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney.

Under Cook, the agency has won recognition since 2025 across the most prestigious creative competitions and platforms, including Cannes Lions, Ad Age A-List, Effies, Campaign US, WARC Creative 100, Drum World Creative Rankings, Dubai Lynx, Gerety Awards and New York Festivals. Cook was shortlisted for Agency Leader of the Year by Campaign US.

He has also led VML to notable recognition for customer experience, commerce and technology solutions from consultancies including Forrester and Gartner, and the agency has been praised by industry partners Acquia, Adobe and Braze. VML Health, its specialist health network, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML ranked in the top three on Fast Company’s 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators list and won Best Use of AI in the Workplace at the WorkLife Awards.

The person behind the title

Cook graduated from the University of Missouri in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and in 2018 delivered the commencement address at the Missouri School of Journalism graduation ceremony. He is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy. His career began in account management at Nicholson Kovac, from April 1993 to April 1996, before he joined VML. He relishes time with his wife, Lisa, and their three young-adult daughters, and the family especially enjoys hiking together.

Why it matters

Few agency leaders can claim 30 years inside one network, fewer still a handover this orderly. A planned exit with nine months of overlap, a successor of 25 years’ standing and a record of Gold Lions and agency-of-the-year titles is the kind of succession most holding companies dream of.