WPP Names Kyoko Matsushita CEO of Creative APAC
WPP elevates Japan CEO Kyoko Matsushita to lead Creative APAC, overseeing six agency brands as part of its Elevate28 restructuring strategy.
WPP has appointed Kyoko Matsushita, its Japan chief executive, as CEO of WPP Creative APAC. The move is part of the holding company's Elevate28 restructuring strategy, announced February 26, 2026.
Matsushita Elevated From Japan Role to Regional Creative Leadership
Matsushita held the WPP Japan CEO position for nearly four years starting in 2022. Before that, she spent eight years at Essence, including roles as its first-ever APAC CEO from 2014 and later as Global CEO.
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Her new role places her at the head of a regional leadership team overseeing six agency brands: VML, Ogilvy, Burson, AKQA, Landor, and Design Bridge and Partners. WPP described the structure as "a lean regional leadership team to develop the WPP Creative operating model."
Matsushita will remain based in Tokyo rather than relocating to Singapore or Hong Kong. She described the role as sitting "at the intersection of technology, creativity and culture," calling it "a culmination of my career."
Appointment Sits Within WPP's Broader Four-Unit Restructure
The Elevate28 strategy reorganizes WPP's hundreds of standalone agencies into four operating units: WPP Creative, WPP Media, WPP Production, and WPP Enterprise Solutions. Each unit operates across four geographic regions, including APAC.
Jon Cook was appointed global CEO of WPP Creative approximately one month before Matsushita's regional appointment, establishing a two-tier global-regional leadership model. Cook has stated that the agencies "will remain distinct and powerful in their own right" while WPP finds new ways to bring them closer together.
WPP Production, led by Richard Glasson, employs nearly 10,000 people across more than 40 cities and is positioned as the world's largest content production operation. This unit's capabilities are available to clients working with Matsushita's creative agencies across the region.
WPP's total headcount fell by approximately 9,400 to 98,655 employees by end-2025, reflecting the scale of consolidation underway. The company targets £500 million in annualized cost savings by 2028 through reduced duplication, real estate cuts, and AI-enabled efficiencies.
Parallel Media Restructure Reshapes APAC Leadership Architecture
Running alongside the creative reorganization, WPP Media has introduced a new APMEA model covering Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The structure divides the region into six sub-regions with dedicated leaders, including Michael Beecroft for Northeast Asia and Helen McRae for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
WPP has also overhauled its bonus structure as part of Elevate28. Staff within each operating unit now have 50% of their bonuses tied to their unit's performance and 50% to overall WPP results. The change is designed to reduce competition between agencies and encourage cross-brand collaboration.
WPP's Timeline Targets Stability in 2026, Growth From 2027
WPP has indicated it expects to stabilize operations in 2026, resume organic growth in 2027, and reach full AI-enabled efficiency by 2028.
Matsushita's appointment signals that WPP's APAC creative leadership will be anchored in Japan, reflecting the market's strategic importance to the broader network. Her career spans more than 25 years across media, technology, and creative industries in Europe, the US, and Asia Pacific, including earlier roles at GREE International, Electronic Arts, Sony, and Leo Burnett.
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