WPP Names Tyler Turnbull CEO of WPP Creative
McCann Global CEO to succeed Jon Cook as advertising giant reshapes creative leadership for AI era
WPP has appointed Tyler Turnbull, Global CEO of McCann, as the new CEO of WPP Creative, in a leadership transition that signals the group’s ambition to build a more integrated creative offering around artificial intelligence, technology and data.
Turnbull will join WPP in early 2027, succeeding Jon Cook, and will be responsible for bringing together the creative strength of WPP’s leading agencies while connecting it more closely with the group’s capabilities in media, data, production, commerce and technology.
The appointment comes as global advertising continues to evolve beyond traditional agency models, with clients increasingly seeking integrated partners capable of combining creativity, technology and data to deliver measurable business growth.
Turnbull brings extensive global agency leadership experience to the role. He currently leads McCann globally, having previously spent 12 years at FCB, where he held leadership positions across Canada, North America and the global business. His career has been marked by agency transformation, creative performance, client growth and the development of high-performing teams.
At WPP Creative, Turnbull will be tasked with accelerating the creative business into its next phase by strengthening collaboration across WPP’s iconic agency brands while leveraging the wider group's technology and data infrastructure.
Central to the strategy will be WPP Open, the group's AI-powered platform, which WPP says will enable its creative talent and agency network to combine intelligence, ideas and technology in delivering greater value for clients.
Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP, described Turnbull as a leader with the “ambition, global perspective and creative conviction” required to lead WPP Creative into its next chapter.
“His appointment reflects our determination to bring together the very best of WPP for our clients, put creativity at the centre of growth and set a new standard for the industry,” Rose said.
For Turnbull, the opportunity represents a chance to redefine how a global creative network operates in an increasingly AI-driven industry.
He said his ambition is for WPP Creative to be sufficiently connected to bring the full strength of WPP to clients, while preserving the distinctive cultures and creative identities of its individual agency brands.
The appointment places Turnbull at the centre of WPP’s effort to balance two increasingly important demands in the advertising industry: scale and integration on one hand, and distinctive creativity and talent on the other.
As AI continues to reshape how advertising is conceived, produced and distributed, Turnbull’s mandate will be to ensure that WPP’s creative network remains not only connected to its wider capabilities, but also competitive in producing the ideas and work that drive meaningful business growth.
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