Landor promotes James Withey to global strategy chief

He will lead the consultancy's global strategy teams and oversee the development of its corporate, consumer and experience strategy capabilities as brands respond to the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI).

Landor, the global brand and design consultancy owned by WPP, has promoted James Withey to the newly created role of Global Executive Vice President of Strategy.

Withey will establish common standards, tools and working practices across the three disciplines while maintaining the specialist expertise each requires. He will also oversee the WPP Brand & Design collective's agentic strategy roadmap, which focuses on helping brands build differentiation and brand equity with both people and AI systems.

Landor Expands Its Global Strategy Capabilities

The appointment builds on changes to WPP's brand and design businesses introduced earlier in 2026 under Jane Geraghty, Global CEO of WPP Brand & Design and Landor. The leadership model aims to connect expertise across brand, design, experience and performance to address increasingly complex client challenges.

Withey's role will strengthen this approach by bringing greater strategic depth to corporate, consumer and experience assignments while connecting the disciplines through shared methodologies. His remit also reflects the growing importance of developing brand strategies that remain distinctive as AI influences how consumers discover, assess and choose products and services.

Withey Brings More Than 25 Years of Experience

Withey has more than 25 years of experience across brand strategy, digital, research, innovation and consultancy leadership. His previous roles include senior positions at FutureBrand and Siegel+Gale, as well as leadership of three consultancies spanning private equity-backed and founder-led businesses. He has also operated his own brand consultancy.

He first joined Landor in 2001, spending almost a decade at the business and eventually becoming Head of Strategy for Consumer Brands. He returned in 2021 and has since contributed to major transformation programmes, including work for A&O Shearman and LeShuttle, as well as several significant new business wins in 2026. Landor was named Campaign's Global Branding Agency of the Year in 2025.

WPP Leadership Highlights Strategic Role of Branding

Jane Geraghty, Global CEO, WPP Brand & Design and Landor: "I couldn't be more pleased; this is a very well earned promotion. James is a trusted, forward-thinking strategic advisor to our clients and is already shaping how we help brands win as AI increasingly influences the choices people make. His unusually diverse background gives him the breadth to see where the industry is heading and the opportunities it creates. At a moment of such significant change, he's exactly the right person to lead our global strategy."

Withey will report to Geraghty and Amal Atallah, European President of WPP Brand & Design. His appointment formalises Landor's global strategy leadership as the consultancy develops its approach to brand differentiation and AI-driven consumer environments.

Landor Focuses on Brand Differentiation in the AI Era

James Withey, Global EVP of Strategy, Landor: "Brand strategy is becoming more important than ever. As AI makes it easier to create, replicate and optimise, the challenge for brands is to have a genuinely differentiated idea at their core – one that can guide and connect what they say, what they do and the experiences they create.

"The opportunity now is to bring greater specialist depth to the different strategic challenges our clients face, while making sure those capabilities work together. Corporate, consumer and experience strategy each demand different expertise, but ultimately they need to add up to one coherent brand. I'm incredibly excited to work with our strategy leaders and teams around the world to build on the strength we already have and shape what comes next."

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