WPP hires Publicis executive as chief marketing officer

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: A logo hangs on the wall outside the WPP offices in London, Britain April 30, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - WPP <WPP.L> said it had hired Laurent Ezekiel from its French rival Publicis <PUBP.PA> to be its chief marketing and growth officer, tasked with helping new boss Mark Read steer the world's biggest advertising group back to growth.

Ezekiel, who was co-president of Publicis agency Digitas, International, started his career at Saatchi & Saatchi, the London-based agency where WPP founder and former chief executive Martin Sorrell also started in advertising.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by David Evans, Richard Balmforth)