WPP Hires IPG McCann’s AI Chief to Lead Strategic AI Partnerships, Solving ‘Real’ Client Needs
WPP has named former IPG’s McCann Worldgroup head of AI Elav Horwitz as its new evp and global head of strategic partnerships and solutions.
Horwitz brings nearly nine years of experience at McCann, where she served as evp, global head of applied innovation and generative AI, integrating AI into creative workflows, as well as working with newer platforms, like testing ads on Perplexity. Before that, Horwitz also spent six years on Meta’s creative council.
Her move to WPP signals the agency’s continued efforts to invest in AI-powered marketing solutions. In 2024 alone, WPP invested over $300 million in AI, and in 2023 it inked deals with chipmaker Nvidia to make 3D ads using gen AI.
“My vision is to create AI-first, human-led business solutions that would transform the industry and society at large,” Horwitz told ADWEEK
This hiring announcement comes days after Omnicom announced it was acquiring IPG, the two agency leaders said this consolidation will help bolster its AI capabilities. Outside holdcos, the market is flooded with new AI tools, like OpenAI’s Sora, providing solutions to improve creativity and streamline workflows. To stay ahead, holding companies are seeking new AI partnerships.
The aim, as Horwitz puts it, isn’t just to teach marketers and creatives how to use AI but to help AI companies grasp the nuances of creativity.
In 2025, Horwitz plans to strike partnerships with startups offering data, user experience, and creativity solutions to integrate into Open, WPP’s foundational AI model. Open, launched last year, has been instrumental in supporting tasks like storyboarding, ad creation, and media planning. It’s already attracted clients like Nestlé and Unilever and its recent technology integrations include Anthropic’s Claude and startups like Bria.
Horwitz will lead a team of 10 tasked with identifying new partners, connecting internal agencies, developing scalable solutions, and implementing them for clients.
“Every day, literally, there’s a new AI feature or innovation,” Horwitz said. “What’s missing is a tangible solution that can solve real client needs.”
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