Ogilvy's Patou Nuytemans to depart as EMEA CEO after 30 years

Laurent Ezekiel, Global Chief Executive Officer of Ogilvy, said: “Patou’s career at Ogilvy is defined by her rare ability to envision the industry’s future and then operationalize that vision by doing the work required to take people on a journey to get there. She has consistently driven multiple defining transformations, leading growth across a wide array of global and regional roles. She leaves behind a stronger, more connected, and more capable Ogilvy. From modernizing our expertise for the AI, social and influencer era to building a powerhouse business in MENA and spearheading the strategic renewal of EMEA, her impact has been profound. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and wish her every success in her next chapter.” 

Nuytemans said: “I leave with a heart full of gratitude. Gratitude for Ogilvy, whose brand, culture, and founding belief in the disproportionate power of creativity I had the great privilege to help steward. Gratitude for the countless colleagues and clients whose shoulders I stood on and whose generosity shaped everything I know. And for a truly international career that took me to France, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the Middle East — each chapter an education, and together an extraordinary gift. I wish WPP, with its new strategy of connecting extraordinary capabilities, people, and markets, nothing but success. This mission aligns deeply with what I’ve dedicated my entire career to. It feels timely, now that brands and the world at large are facing tectonic change at every level, to leave with thirty years of hard-won experience in transformation and put it to work where it will make meaningful difference.” 

Ben Messiaen, Chief Client Officer for Ogilvy EMEA, added: “I have never worked with a more driven leader than Patou — and I have never once felt alone working with her. She sets the bar high, holds it there, and makes you want to reach it with her. What stays with me is that she will not rest until the work is as good as it can possibly be. In an industry that talks endlessly about transformation, she is one of the very few who knows how to actually take people through it.” 

Nuytemans began her Ogilvy career in Belgium in 1993, initially gaining experience in direct marketing before serving as EMEA Client Service Director for IBM in Paris Her roles included Ogilvy’s first Global Knowledge Manager in New York and EMEA Digital Leader based first in London, then South Africa, where she steered the agency through early digital transformation. Serving as EMEA Chief Digital Officer for more than fifteen years, she was pivotal in transforming Ogilvy into a digital-first agency. She notably led the acquisition and global expansion of Social.Lab in 2013, making it a key success for WPP and Ogilvy. In 2017, as CEO of Memac Ogilvy, she revitalized the Middle East and North Africa network, achieving double-digit growth, and transforming it into a modern marketing agency in tune with the cultures and clients it served. Appointed CEO of Ogilvy EMEA in September 2021, she spearheaded a phase of transformation across 35 markets, driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and AI adoption across all disciplines. 

Nuytemans also forged deep advisory relationships with clients across industries and geographies throughout her career — among them IBM, Microsoft, Vodafone, Nestlé, Unilever, Nespresso, British Airways, IKEA, Expo2020 Dubai, the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Mondelēz, and The Coca-Cola Company. A frequent conference speaker, thought leader, and board director, she has invested as much in transforming people as organizations and intends to continue these endeavors.