Grey Global CEO Laura Maness moves on

The CEO role has been eliminated as Grey splits top leadership into ‘Trifecta'

by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 3, 2025 9:11 AM | 1 min read

Laura Maness, Global CEO of Grey, announced her departure after three years during a global town hall meeting on October 2, 2025.
Following her exit, Grey will not replace the CEO position but will adopt a co-leadership structure with three executives: Gabriel Schmitt, Jason Kahner, and Jonathan Lee.
This new leadership model aims to streamline agency functions and enhance focus on creative output, client relationships, and strategy.
The change follows a strategic realignment in May 2025, shifting Grey's reporting from the AKQA Group to Ogilvy, while maintaining its status as a standalone brand.

Laura Maness, Global CEO of WPP-owned agency Grey, has announced her departure after three years in the role.

Maness shared the news during a global town hall meeting in New York on October 2, 2025. She is the latest high-profile executive to depart from a major WPP creative agency, following a period of structural reorganization within the holding company.

Following her exit, the agency confirmed that the Global CEO position will not be replaced. Instead, Grey is moving to a new co-leadership structure. a 'trifecta' focused on streamlining core agency functions under WPP’s broader organizational strategy. The agency will now be led by a trio of key executives: Global Chief Creative Officer Gabriel Schmitt, Global Chief Client Officer Jason Kahner, and Global Chief Strategy Officer Jonathan Lee. This new model emphasizes dedicated leadership for creative output, client relationships, and strategy, rather than a single CEO overseeing all domains.

This change follows a strategic realignment in May 2025, which saw Grey’s reporting lines shift from the AKQA Group to Ogilvy. While Grey remains a standalone brand, the new structure reflects a decisive move towards a functional, collaborative leadership model within the WPP network, allowing the agency to operate independently while potentially aligning more closely with Ogilvy’s strategic resources.