GroupM announced it will appoint Josh Krichefski to a new role as GroupM CEO for EMEA and the United Kingdom, effective February 1.  

Krichefski will succeed Demet Ikiler, who is stepping down from her position as CEO for GroupM EMEA and WPP Country Manager for Turkey at the end of the month, and Karen Blackett OBE, who served as GroupM’s U.K. CEO until her elevation to a new role as president of WPP in the U.K. in September 2022.  

In this newly created role, Krichefski will be responsible for managing GroupM’s business strategy, operations, and growth across EMEA and the United Kingdom. GroupM represents $23 billion in advertising investment in the region and a 32% market share, employing more than 16,000 individuals across 42 markets in EMEA through its agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, and mSix&Partners, as well as its investment division, Motion Content Group, and GroupM Nexus, the world’s leading community of performance marketing experts.  

Christian Juhl, Global CEO of GroupM, said in a statement, “Josh has been helping lead our organization through change for over a decade. His success in driving operational excellence and business transformation has had a major impact on our clients’ businesses and the growth of MediaCom and GroupM as a whole. I couldn’t be more excited about the combination of client-centricity and people-first leadership he will bring to GroupM in this new role across so many important clients and dynamic markets. I would also like to thank Demet for her leadership and commitment to our success for more than two decades. As CEO for EMEA, she has helped take our business in the region to the next level. She has been a fearless champion for diversity, inclusion, and sustainability initiatives across GroupM, our agencies, and our work for clients. We wish her all the best for the future.”  

Krichefski, who is based in London, has been part of GroupM since 2011 when he first joined MediaCom as Chief Operating Officer for EMEA. Since that time, he has played a critical part in the agency’s growth, modernization, and day-to-day operations, most recently leading the integration of EssenceMediacom as Global COO.  

Krichefski is known across GroupM and the industry more broadly as a champion for cultural change and mental health awareness initiatives. He is a trustee of Transformation Trust, advancing career development opportunities for children from underprivileged backgrounds. He is a Founding Member of the World Wellbeing Movement and the MS Society Appeal Board.  In December 2022, he was nominated to serve as the next President of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), the trade body and professional institute for the advertising industry in the UK. He is also a Fellow of the Marketing Society. 

He said, “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to build on the terrific work Demet and Karen have done to grow our business and create momentum for GroupM in EMEA and the UK. There’s never been a more exciting time to work in the media industry than right now, and I look forward to partnering with our teams at all levels to help our clients find new pathways to growth.”