WPP appoints Elav Horwitz as chief innovation officer

WPP has promoted Elav Horwitz, executive vice-president, global head of strategic partnerships and AI solutions, to chief innovation officer.

Horwitz, who joined WPP a year ago after 13 years at IPG’s McCann, is based in New York and will continue to report to chief technology officer Stephan Pretorious in her new role.

WPP said the role was created to “solidify its leadership in applied AI and deliver groundbreaking technology-driven solutions for clients”.

Horwitz will be responsible for connecting WPP’s clients with the company’s creative and strategic talent. She has been charged with fostering a culture of collaboration and agile innovation to “drive applied AI and client transformation”.

Pretorious said: “Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at WPP, and Elav’s promotion to chief innovation officer, together with the world-class team she is assembling, underscores our commitment to actively shape the future of our industry. 

“She will be instrumental in ensuring our company remains at the centre of technology-driven innovation, translating the power of applied AI into concrete solutions that drive material business impact for our clients.”

When she departed McCann Worldgroup in December 2024 after almost nine years at the network, Horwitz was executive vice-president, global head of applied innovation and AI. She joined McCann Tel Aviv in 2011 as vice-president clients, head of start-up partnerships. Before this, she held roles at Dsay Interactive and Nice Systems.

Horwitz said: “Never before has the need for innovation and agility been more critical than in our AI era. We must show our teams, clients and the entire industry what's possible by uniting the best talents, capabilities, partners and a forward-thinking mindset, enabling us to deliver results in a matter of hours and make the future both tangible and democratised.”

WPP chief executive Cindy Rose highlighted AI as a key plank of the strategic review underway at the holding company, and shortly after joining in September, she said employees must become “AI superusers”.

In October, the company announced a $400m investment in Google, part of an expansion of their relationship, with spending going towards infusing AI into its services to “create hyper-relevant campaigns in days, not months”.

In the same month, WPP launched WPP Open Pro, a tool for marketers to plan, create and publish campaigns independently, without the help of an agency.

Rose said of Horwitz's appointment: “This appointment underscores our investment to embed innovation into the core of everything we do, ensuring our clients benefit from the most advanced and effective solutions.”

Yesterday, WPP appointed Conrad Persons, chief executive of Grey London, as chief of staff at the holding company, another new role.