17623: Cooking With The Same Old Recipe, Serving Up The Status Quo.

Adweek published a different spin on the impending exit of VML Global CEO-WPP Creative CEO Jon Cook, stressing how he’s handing the baton to one of his “best friends in life.”

Soon-to-be successor Eric Campbell is a VML veteran currently serving as WPP Creative North America CEO, a title he’ll retain upon gaining the VML Global CEO role.

According to Adweek, “Knowing VML and WPP Creative will be in the hands of someone who has helped [Cook] build the business has made it easier to step away.”

Easier for who? And easier how?

Cook admitted in Advertising Age that he only started considering career options last summer—mere months ago. So, it was a relatively quick decision. Ditto the appointment of his replacement.

Through messy mergers and radical restructuring, WPP likely has a surfeit of qualified and available C-suite executives. Identifying the next leader for the largest White advertising agency and entire creative practice (although Campbell is not assuming full WPP Creative CEO duties) in the global flaming dumpster should have warranted an extensive, exhaustive search.

Under Cook, VML once boasted extreme dedication to DEIBA+ and Divertsity too.

Recent PR also positioned Cook as caring, concerned, and committed to people.

What’s more, WPP leadership expressed awareness of constant churn adversely affecting morale, trust, and psychological safety.

Yet when presented with an opportunity to fill one of the biggest positions in Adland—a choice that impacts WPP employees worldwide—Cook instantly opted for cronyism and selected a White man.

Jon Cook on 30 Years at VML and Handing the Agency Over to His Best Friend

The WPP exec said he’s ready to climb a new career mountain.

By Christopher Cicchiello

Jon Cook’s 25 years at VML was full of changes, from the early startup days to mergers and acquisitions to rebrands and integrations. Alongside him the entire time was Eric Campbell, who he described as not just a partner in his career, but one of his “best friends in life.”

Now, after announcing his departure from the agency on Friday, Cook has the rare fortune of handing the reins to his long-time friend, who succeeds him as global CEO of VML while retaining his dual role as North America CEO of WPP Creative. 

Knowing VML and WPP Creative will be in the hands of someone who has helped him build the business has made it easier to step away, Cook said.

(Read the full story here.)