Grey has hired Jai Kotecha to lead its London office as chief executive. Kotecha will join from Ogilvy, where he is currently the EMEA managing director of clients, overseeing the European PR, social and influence account for WPP OpenX, WPP’s bespoke agency team for the The Coca-Cola Company.
Grey has hired Jai Kotecha to lead its London office as CEO. He joins on January 15 after a 13-year stint at Ogilvy, ultimately as EMEA managing director of clients, leading the European PR, social and influence account for WPP OpenX, WPP’s specialist agency team for the The Coca-Cola Company. His time at Ogilvy also includes a transformative four-year period as CEO of Ogilvy Netherlands. Prior to that role, Kotecha successfully built and led the social and influence division at Ogilvy UK, growing it into the fastest-growing unit within the agency. He also played a key role in integrating Social.Lab at Ogilvy UK post-acquisition and helped to establish Ogilvy’s influencer offering. As WPP client lead for LEVEL an IAG brand, he oversaw an integrated solution across multiple WPP agencies. And at the beginning of his career, he completed a postgraduate diploma in marketing, part-time while working for telco, Telstra in Sydney.
Kotecha will partner with Jason Kahner, global chief client officer for Grey, and Gabriel Schmitt, global chief creative officer, and report to Patou Nuytemans, The Ogilvy Group’s CEO for EMEA
His focus will be to continue Grey London’s recent resurgence, led by chief creative officer, Helen Rhodes, and chief strategy officer, delivered its best performance in nearly a decade at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Kotecha commented, “It is a true privilege to join Grey London at such an exhilarating time. This is an agency that has been driving value for clients for over a century, built on a foundation of incredible talent and a relentless pursuit of groundbreaking creative ideas. I’m eager to build on the agency’s fantastic momentum, working hand-in-hand with our teams to prove what Famously Effective means for modern, enduring brands.”
Helen Rhodes added, “Jai is a champion of creativity and I’m excited to partner with him as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, delivering the kind of Famously Effective ideas our clients need to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.”
Laurent Ezekiel, global CEO of The Ogilvy Group, noted, “Jai’s remarkable track record, particularly his proven ability to modernize agency offerings by significantly enhancing their focus on social and influencer marketing, while simultaneously reinforcing the foundational capabilities essential for building enduring brands, makes him an exceptional fit for Grey London. His expertise is precisely what our clients need today. Jai’s journey is also a testament to our commitment to creating opportunities for our high-performing talent across the entire Group.”
