Dentsu names John Mescall as global chief creative partner amid strategic uncertainty

Dentsu Creative has appointed John Mescall as global chief creative partner, a hire that comes at a moment when the Japanese advertising group is seeking to reassure staff, clients and investors about the future of its international operations.

Based in New York, Mescall will work alongside Yasu Sasaki, Dentsu’s global chief creative officer, to define and raise creative standards across the network. He will partner with local creative leaders on initiatives that prioritise craft, foster a global creative community, embrace AI and emerging tools, and expand opportunities for talent development.

“What drew me to Dentsu Creative is its deep belief in the power of creativity to drive meaningful impact across the board,” Mescall said. “It’s rare to find a global organisation so aligned in purpose, yet so attuned to the unique strengths of its local teams. I’m excited to be a part of a creative culture full of talented, passionate people, that values excellence, fosters innovation, and puts humanity at the centre of everything we do.”

A veteran of global networks

Mescall has led creative organisations at both global and regional levels. At McCann Worldgroup, he served as global executive creative director and president of the Global Creative Council. As chief creative officer of McCann Melbourne, he helped the network achieve Cannes Lions and Effie Global Network of the Year titles.

More recently, he was chief creative partner at by TheNetwork. His work has collected more than 100 Cannes Lions, including eight Grand Prix, along with awards from D&AD, One Show, Clio, Spikes, LIA and Webby.  

Abbey Klaassen, global president of Dentsu Creative, said, “John’s creative legacy speaks for itself, but what excites us most is his ability to unite teams around a shared vision. He knows how to translate big ideas across markets, unlocking the strongest creative thinking from each region. As a champion of evolution and transformation — not just in the work, but in how we work — John will play a pivotal role in driving creative alignment, elevating our craft, and delivering work that’s both culturally resonant and strategically unified, as we continue to scale our creative impact.”

Sasaki added, “Transformative Creativity is the driving force that connects our network’s capabilities to create meaningful impact for people, businesses, and society, and John’s commitment to creativity is a reflection of that. As global chief creative partner, John will collaborate closely with our chief creative officers in markets, serving as a trusted advisor to elevate their strategies, while also uniting and inspiring our global creative community.”

Appointment amid deal speculation

The announcement comes against the backdrop of questions about Dentsu’s future outside Japan. On 28 August, the Financial Times reported that the group had engaged Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley and Nomura Securities to explore options for its international creative and media businesses. The potential scenarios ranged from a minority stake sale to a full disposal.

Dentsu’s international arm includes Merkle, the US-based digital marketing consultancy it acquired as part of its 2012 purchase of Aegis. The global business has underperformed for several years, with the company reporting a 0.2% decline in organic revenue for the first half of 2025 and revising its full-year growth forecast from 1% to flat.

During a post-results Q&A in August, chief executive Hiroshi Igarashi told analysts the company was reviewing underperforming units but stopped short of committing to a sale. “We have been talking about the rebuilding of our international business. We have been working on enhancing our competitiveness. Well, for this, we are going to rebuild our business foundation. We are going to also re-evaluate our underperforming business, and we are making steady progress on this,” he said.

He added: “In regard to divestiture of the international business, we are not at a stage of being able to give any clear response at this point in time, and I’m not in a state of being able to talk about anything specific right now.”

CEO clears confusion

On 3 September, Igarashi issued an internal memo in response to speculation. He told employees: “No decisions have been made yet about selling our international arm and we aim to rebuild the business outside Japan on our own.” He urged staff to remain focused on clients who “remain at the heart of everything we do” and added: “Success depends on each of us — thinking deeply about our clients and delivering outstanding service that drives their growth.”

The memo, while cautioning against reading too much into market chatter, acknowledged that the company must consider a wide range of options. “While we aim to rebuild our international business on our own, we recognise that fundamental restructuring requires taking bold measures,” Igarashi wrote. “As part of this, we are exploring all options, including comprehensive and strategic partnerships with third parties. This means being open to different ways of operating — whether that’s how we’re organised or how we’re funded.”

Dentsu employs about 67,000 people worldwide. Igarashi said the priority was “to restore the entire group to a growth trajectory” and emphasised that “restoring profitability means more than managing costs in a single year”.

The debate around Dentsu’s international portfolio comes as consolidation reshapes the industry. Omnicom is preparing to complete its acquisition of Interpublic, a deal that will make it the world’s largest agency group by revenue and alter the balance of the global top three, ahead of Publicis Groupe, WPP and Dentsu.

Against that backdrop, Mescall’s appointment is designed to shore up creative leadership and signal stability within Dentsu’s global creative arm. Whether that is enough to reassure clients and talent as the company weighs its next moves remains to be seen.