[Interview] Vincent Druguet, CEO, WPP Creative France

Vincent Druguet has taken on the dual role of CEO of WPP Creative France and WPP Enterprise Solutions France at a pivotal moment for the group

Vincent Druguet has taken on the dual role of CEO of WPP Creative France and WPP Enterprise Solutions France at a pivotal moment for the group.

As WPP rolls out its Elevate28 transformation strategy, Druguet is leading the integration of creativity, consulting, technology and AI into a simpler, client-focused model.

In this interview, he discusses his vision for uniting WPP's agency brands, the growing role of AI in creative work, changing client expectations and how he plans to position WPP Creative France as a leading growth partner for brands over the next five years.

What is your vision for WPP Creative France under its new leadership structure?

My vision is rooted in WPP’s clear global ambition: to be the preferred and trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. To achieve this, we are operating through a highly simplified 4-4-1 model—four pillars, four regions, and our centralized agentic platform, WPP Open.

By leading WPP Creative and WPP Enterprise Solutions in France, my mandate is to deliver this promise of Growth partner by unifying creativity and brand work with consulting, technology, and data.

We have a unique chance in France: we are already a creative and technology powerhouse waiting for a unified narrative to unlock exponential growth - all iconic brands are there, and we have 200 people in consulting and technology. 1.000 people under the same roof working for incredible client portfolio.

Ultimately, we want to deliver unmatched, holistic value that drives real growth for our clients.

How will you unite VML, Ogilvy, and AKQA while preserving their distinct identities?

This is perhaps my biggest and most exciting challenge.

WPP creative is a house of Brands and Brands will stay. They are famous, Ogilvy is N°1 creative network in the world, VML N°2 and N°4 in France, and AKQA is an iconic agency and innovation house. But we have also Burson, a PR and reputation leader, Branding experts like CBA and Landor, and specialist like Peclers.

The strategy isn't to blend them but working on their singular strengths and amplify them. A client can enter through a Brand and then asking for additional expertise and that will be easy to do it. Or a client can ask for a bespoke team made of Ogilvy experts, PR specialist and Luxury designers. We can do that as well.

We will unite all these brands around a common culture which will be a huge challenge. Being proud of being part of VML, but as well proud of being part of WPP creative. We are starting to build this culture by doing some party together and pitching as one.

And we will unite them as well by pooling some disciplines like Health, or building a luxury center of excellence

At the end, objective is to establish an environment where everyone is fiercely proud of their unique identity as well as the collective power of WPP.

How is WPP adapting to changing client expectations?

Clients are absolutely demanding simplicity. For years, the industry was too complex, and clients understandably struggled to know which part of the network to engage. And let's be frank WPP was not easy to navigate.

Today’s marketing landscape requires a seamless integration of data, creativity, e-commerce, and consulting. To answer this, we have moved away from blurry generalist models.

Instead, we have specialized agencies, expertise shared, and an operating model built around client expectations. Whether a client needs us to completely overhaul their content supply chain frameworks, re-invent their Brand, build internal marketing studios, or manage global marketing performance, we are adapting our operating models to their exact needs.

How is AI reshaping creativity and client work across WPP Creative France?

Generative AI is undeniably the most profound revolution our industry has experienced, and coming from a digital and tech background, I have fully embraced it. AI acts as a superpower—it enables us to move faster, aim higher, and produce work that was previously unimaginable.

We have deeply integrated this capability through our massive investment in WPP Open, which spans the entire chain from strategy and production to media and agentic commerce technology. We are even taking the bold step of providing this tool as a self-service offering to our clients, proactively reinventing our model and transitioning toward high-value consulting.

I think we are in the race so far, that's what our clients is telling us.

How do you keep creativity human in the AI era?

The core philosophy is that our work will always be "human first."

AI is a formidable accelerator, but it cannot replace the audacity, emotional intelligence, and strategic leaps of top human talent. By democratizing the execution phase and placing our proprietary SaaS tools directly in the hands of our clients, we are intentionally shifting the agency's value upstream.

If certain production tasks move to the client side or through automation, our role becomes even more critical in shaping the overarching strategy or the breakthrough creative conceptualization

What will define success for WPP Creative France over the next 5 years?

Aligning with our Elevate28 roadmap, success will not be measured by the performance of a single agency, but by the performance of WPP creative and enterprise solution pillars. By 2028, I want WPP Creative to be a dominant, recognized force in France, characterized by regrown brands, hybrid teams, and an operating model that clients praise for its simplicity and effectiveness.

Simultaneously, WPP Enterprise Solutions must be recognized as a heavyweight competitor against the traditional tech and consulting giants. Ultimately, success is defined by delivering profitable growth and profound, end-to-end impact for our clients.

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