In October WPP announced a major evolution in its offering to clients with the merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R. The combined entity, known as VML and will be the industry’s largest creative company, uniting two of the most awarded creative agencies in the world, each with world-class commerce, customer experience and marketing technology capabilities.
Operational from January 1, 2024, VML has entered the German market with offices in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, and Düsseldorf.
Today, Vanessa Kerkhoff has been named as CEO of VML Germany. Kerkhoff joined WPP in 2022 as CEO of Wunderman Thompson Germany. In this time Vanessa is credited with several changes and successes, including winning the Koerber business as Agency of Record in August 2023.
VML Germany's top clients include leading brands in the B2C and B2B sectors including Microsoft, Beiersdorf, Bayer, Koerber, Coty, and Mercedes Benz. Just two months ago, the agency acquired three new prestigious clients: MOIA, NUK, and DocMorris.
Vanessa will report to Ewen Sturgeon, CEO VML EMEA. On the appointment Ewen commented, “I am absolutely delighted that Vanessa will be leading the VML brand in Germany. Her dynamic leadership style and client centric approach will ensure we create a thriving business ensuring our clients are offered the very best of our connected brands offer across Brand Experience, Customer Experience & Commerce.”
Working alongside Vanessa will be Stephan Lämmermann who is named as VML’s Chief Growth & Technology Officer. Christian Bihn will act as Chief Strategy Officer whilst Blundstone Osterberger will lead client management as Chief Client Officer. Simona Suman, who moved from MRM Bucharest to Wunderman Thompson Germany last July, will become Chief Creative Officer and will be responsible for expanding the creative business. Florian Straßer, formerly Executive Director Finance at Ogilvy in Frankfurt, will take over the position of Chief Financial Officer. Christina Kutschinski will act as Chief People Officer. Maximilian Ofer will head up VML Germany’s Health Unit, which was founded in April 2022, and drive forward the agency's ambitions in the healthcare sector.
On her appointment, Vanessa Kerkhoff comments, "My team and I have achieved a lot during the last two years and are set up for success. It fills us with pride to be now part of the global powerhouse VML - a unique agency group that is dedicated to modern marketing and can serve it comprehensively thanks to its size, expertise, diversity, integration and, finally, its global footprint. Our portfolio ranges from brand experience to customer experience to commerce, i.e., the actual transaction with the end customer, and every conceivable step in between."
Kerkhoff continues: "We are equally looking forward to further expanding business with our existing customers as we are to introducing our capabilities to new business partners who would like to have their marketing activities and the tech implementation of these bundled by one expert, or sub-areas, with the certainty that the complexity of modern marketing will be captured, understood and managed."
