Jens Monsees has stepped down as chief executive officer of WPP AUNZ Limited.

The decision comes as WPP AUNZ transitions from a public company to a fully integrated business within WPP, which was completed on Tuesday May 18, in which WPP became the sole shareholder of WPP AUNZ, which was subsequently delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange.

Monsees was appointed CEO of WPP AUNZ in October 2019.

A new WPP leader will be appointed and in the interim the business will be led by the agency brand leaders, supported by WPP AUNZ chief financial officer, Chris Rollinson, and other members of the central team, through an executive committee chaired by WPP chief operating officer, Andrew Scott.

Mark Read, chief executive officer of WPP, commented, “Jens has made a major contribution to WPP AUNZ during his time with the company. Despite the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has delivered significant progress in transforming WPP’s business in Australia and New Zealand, which is very well positioned for the future.    

“We have fantastic agency brands in Australia and New Zealand – which are among our most important global markets – and we are very excited about their potential to grow and to meet the needs of our clients in a fast-changing world. I would like to thank Jens for his dedication and all he has done for WPP AUNZ, and the wider WPP family. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future.”

Jens Monsees stated, “I am very proud of what we have achieved together as one team, leaving WPP AUNZ as a more future-proof, growing and performing business. I am leaving many great colleagues behind. The strategic progress we accomplished and the strong financial turnaround we achieved are testament to the great collaboration of our people across the business and their ongoing commitment to serving our clients.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank the WPP AUNZ board, the local and global executives, the entire WPP community, and my family for their support during such an important journey. I am looking forward to the next exciting chapter ahead. Australia and New Zealand represent one of WPP’s largest markets worldwide, with revenues of almost US$500 million and 3,800 people employed by its global agency networks.”

There has been something of a shedding of key WPP AUNZ people in the last eighteen months. Ogilvy Australia chief executive officer, David Fox, departed after nearly seven years to become CEO of Ogilvy MENA, GroupM chief executive officer, Mark Lollback, left after five years and WPP AUNZ chief customer officer, Sunita Gloster, left after a year and a half and is now a senior advisor at Accenture.