WPP ELEVATES KYOKO MATSUSHITA TO LEAD CREATIVE APAC TRANSFORMATION

WPP has appointed Kyoko Matsushita as CEO of WPP Creative APAC, signalling a strategic push towards a streamlined regional leadership model. With extensive global experience, Matsushita will spearhead collaboration, innovation and client-centric growth across Asia Pacific, reinforcing the network’s commitment to creativity, technology and integrated agency capabilities.

Global advertising and communications giant WPP has appointed its Japan chief executive, Kyoko Matsushita, as CEO of WPP Creative APAC, marking a significant leadership shift aimed at strengthening the group’s creative operations across one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

The move reflects WPP’s broader strategy to simplify and unify its regional structure by creating what it describes as a “lean regional leadership team” designed to deliver a more cohesive creative operating model. This model will integrate and support a wide portfolio of agencies, including Ogilvy, AKQA and Landor, among others, enabling clients to tap into a more connected network of talent and capabilities.

Matsushita’s elevation comes after a notable tenure within WPP, including an eight-year stint at Essence, where she served as both global and APAC CEO. More recently, she led WPP’s Japan portfolio for nearly four years, taking on the role in 2022 and steering the group’s operations in a key strategic market.

In announcing her new role, Matsushita positioned the appointment as a culmination of her international career, one that spans multiple disciplines and geographies. She emphasised that her leadership would sit at the intersection of technology, creativity and culture, a convergence increasingly seen as critical in modern marketing and communications.

Her career trajectory reflects this multidimensional approach. Before joining WPP, she held leadership roles at GREE International in London, and worked as a senior marketing manager across APAC and EMEA for Electronic Arts. Earlier stints at Sony and Leo Burnett further broadened her experience across brand, communications and creative sectors.

This diverse professional background, combined with her experience living and working across Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific, has shaped her global outlook. Matsushita has repeatedly underscored the importance of embracing varied perspectives, noting that such exposure has fuelled her commitment to innovation, data-driven strategies and the cultivation of talent.

WPP’s new creative operating model aims to break down silos between agencies and disciplines, fostering closer collaboration between creative, design and public relations teams. By doing so, the company hopes to respond more effectively to evolving client needs, particularly as brands demand integrated solutions that combine storytelling, technology and measurable impact.

Matsushita has highlighted innovation and inclusivity as central pillars of her leadership philosophy. She has consistently advocated for diverse and inclusive working environments, arguing that they are essential for driving creativity and unlocking new ideas in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

Her appointment also signals WPP’s confidence in the Asia Pacific region as a major engine of growth. Describing APAC as a “hotbed of creativity and potential”, Matsushita has expressed strong belief in the region’s ability to lead the next wave of transformation in the industry.

As WPP recalibrates its regional strategy, Matsushita’s task will be to translate this vision into tangible outcomes—enhancing collaboration across agencies, expanding capabilities, and positioning the network as a trusted partner for clients navigating a rapidly changing media and marketing landscape.

In an era where the boundaries between technology, creativity and culture continue to blur, her leadership is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping how WPP adapts and thrives across Asia Pacific, reinforcing its standing as one of the world’s leading creative networks.