Diane Holland
Global Chief Operations Officer
Diane is the Global Chief Operating Officer of VML, the world’s largest creative agency combining brand experience, customer experience and commerce, which is home to more than 30,000 employees across the world. With a career over 25 years spanning roles in Los Angeles, New York and London, Diane currently leads VML’s operational management and was a key member of the leadership team that oversaw the successful merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson in 2023.
Prior to VML, Diane was the Global CFO of Wunderman Thompson responsible for financial and operational management and was a key leader in the merger of Wunderman and J. Walter Thompson to launch Wunderman Thompson in 2019. Prior to that, she was the Global CFO of POSSIBLE, where she was instrumental in WPP’s integration of multiple digital agencies to launch this global agency in 2011. Diane also served as CFO of digital firm Schematic and played a critical role in managing Schematic’s acquisition by WPP in 2007. Previously, Diane was a Director of Finance at Fox Television Stations and Internal Auditor at EMI Group.
Her previous roles honed her skillset across all facets of financial and operational management, M&A, and commercial excellence within the advertising, media and entertainment industries. Diane has built her career by passionately supporting talent and creativity while also delivering strong strategic leadership for clients and colleagues. She excels in tackling business disruption to drive optimal performance.
Diane is on the board of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a non-profit organization with a mission to create a healthy and sustainable food system, where she chairs the Finance and Compensation Committees and is on the Investment Committee. She served on the board of WPP AUNZ (publicly listed on the Australian stock exchange ASX:WPP) where she facilitated the majority shareholder purchase and was a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Previously, Diane served on the board of Step Up for nearly 10 years, a non-profit organization that mentors teen girls from under-resourced communities, and KK Create, a Los Angeles based start-up bringing together music, creative and brands.
Diane’s career has allowed her to support her deep passion for the arts when she isn't cooking, practicing yoga or sailing with her husband and their dog Hawkins.