The year 2025 witnessed unprecedented movement in executive suites across industries as companies sought dynamic leaders to navigate digital transformation, economic uncertainty, and evolving consumer expectations. The wave of appointments reflected growing importance of digital and AI expertise at the C-suite level, increased internal promotions as companies prioritized institutional knowledge, and notable progress in gender diversity particularly in marketing and brand leadership roles.

Global Leadership Changes

WPP appointed Cindy Rose as CEO, effective September 1, succeeding Mark Read. Rose brings nine years of senior leadership at Microsoft, most recently as Chief Operating Officer for Global Enterprise, plus experience at Vodafone, Virgin Media, and The Walt Disney Company.

LinkedIn made history by appointing Heather Freeland as its first Chief Brand Officer. Freeland joined from Adobe after serving nearly three years as Chief Brand Officer. She previously spent seven years at Meta as Head of Global Marketing Communications, where she founded The Guild, the company’s in-house creative agency.

Unilever appointed Srinivas Phatak as Chief Financial Officer. Phatak, who started at Unilever in 1999, served as acting CFO since March and was previously Deputy CFO and Controller since 2022, receiving annual fixed pay of €1.2 million.

Oracle Corporation promoted Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia to co-CEOs. Magouyrk, previously President of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, joined from Amazon Web Services in 2014. Sicilia, formerly President of Oracle Industries, brings expertise in vertical applications and applied AI.

Nigerian Marketing and Advertising Leadership

Nigeria Breweries appointed Sarah Agha as Marketing Director, effective June 1, while elevating Emma Oriakhi to Sales Director. Agha will shape the company’s portfolio aligned with the EverGreen 2030 Growth Strategy, focusing on consumer-led strategy to reclaim leadership in mainstream segments.

Heineken appointed Sade Morgan as Corporate Affairs Director for Africa and the Middle East. Morgan previously served as Corporate Affairs Director at Nigerian Breweries, with Nigerian Breweries celebrating that “Sade’s journey has been marked by excellence and unwavering commitment to corporate stewardship.”

Guinness Nigeria appointed Professor Fabian Ajogwu, SAN, as Board Chairman and Independent Non-Executive Director. A board member since November 2018, Professor Ajogwu previously chaired the Nominations, Governance, and Remuneration Committee.

Bean Creative IMC appointed Anthony Onyemauwa as Vice President and Agency Lead. A founding team member of Orange Academy, Africa’s first practical school of Integrated Brand Experience, Onyemauwa previously led campaigns for MTN Nigeria, Konga.com, and Wakanow.

ChivitaIHollandia promoted Bose Ogunyemi to Category Head for Juices. Previously Senior Brand Manager for Chivita & Capri-Sun, Ogunyemi demonstrated exceptional proficiency in consumer insight-driven brand management and strategic planning.

Allianz Media Limited appointed Hezekiah Ajagbe as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, promoted from General Manager. He will also steer Sunrise Integrated Media, a digital marketing firm based in Ikeja, Lagos.

MediaReach OMD appointed Seun Kasali Emmanuel as Senior Executive for Media Planning and Strategy, while PHD promoted Brendan Aiwuyo to Assistant Manager for Out-of-Home. The Redwolf Company elevated Peter Adesanya to Group Head of Digital Strategy after over a decade developing digital campaigns.

Specialized Marketing and Brand Leadership

PMG named Chad Stoller as its first Global Head of Media, reporting to President Jon Dupuis. Stoller previously served as Global Chief Innovation Officer at IPG’s UM and Executive Vice President-Managing Partner at IPG Media Lab.

COMvergence appointed Ron Pullem as Head of Advertiser Relationships. Based in Tokyo, Pullem brings 30 years of global media management experience, most recently as Head of Global Media at Sony Corporation, with previous senior roles at Coca-Cola Company and McCann Worldgroup.

Ledrop Group appointed John Emeh as Senior Brand Manager for Glenfiddich and Luc Belaire. The seasoned brand marketing specialist will oversee both iconic brands in the Nigerian market, redefining premium experiences and driving innovation in brand storytelling.

Soulcomms appointed Ayodeji Onabajo as Chief Operating Officer, bringing over 12 years of experience spanning continents and industries to drive the agency’s strategic vision.

Technology and Digital Innovation

Apple promoted SVP of Operations Sabih Khan to Chief Operating Officer, succeeding Jeff Williams, signaling continuity in the iPhone maker’s operational leadership.

NotchHR appointed Tayo Sowole as Managing Director to drive innovation in HR and CRM solutions. With nearly 15 years of experience at uLesson Education, Miva Open University, and SeamlessHR, Sowole has expertise scaling African SaaS and e-commerce companies.

Notable Global Movements

Diageo’s Debra Crew stepped down after two years, with former Tesco CEO Dave Lewis appointed CEO from 2026. Spotify founder Daniel Ek stepped down as CEO to become executive chairman from January 2026, with co-presidents Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström succeeding him.

Pandora appointed Berta de Pablos-Barbier, its Chief Marketing Officer and former LVMH Moet & Chandon CEO, as new Chief Executive Officer. Kraft Heinz named Steve Cahillane as CEO effective January 2026, moving from Kellanova. Estée Lauder appointed Aude Gandon as Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, joining from Nestlé where she served as global CMO.

Strategic Implications

The executive appointments of 2025 reveal critical strategic imperatives. Digital transformation remains paramount, with companies prioritizing leaders combining deep functional expertise with technology fluency. The appointments of Freeland at LinkedIn, Rose at WPP, and Stoller at PMG demonstrate how marketing roles now require sophisticated understanding of AI, data analytics, and digital platforms.

Internal promotions dominated succession plans, reflecting companies’ desire to preserve institutional knowledge. Oracle’s dual CEO structure with Magouyrk and Sicilia, Unilever’s elevation of Phatak after 26 years, and Nigeria Breweries’ approach with Agha and Oriakhi show organizations balancing continuity with fresh perspectives.

Gender diversity made notable progress, particularly in marketing and brand leadership, with women assuming CEO roles at WPP, Pandora, and leadership positions across FMCG, advertising, and technology sectors. However, challenges remain, with many women concentrated in marketing and communications rather than operational or financial leadership.

The leaders appointed in 2025 face the challenge of delivering on strategic visions while adapting to markets evolving at unprecedented speed, integrating AI capabilities, and maintaining human-centric cultures in an increasingly automated business environment.

 

ALSO WATCH MARKETING EDGE ONTV