Two more senior leaders depart AKQA

AKQA has experienced further departures from its leadership team with Ron Peterson, managing partner of EMEA, and Johnny Budden, global chief creative officer, handing in their resignations.

Six senior leaders have left the WPP company in the past 60 days, following the departure of the agency's founder and group chief executive Ajaz Ahmed in October.

Sam Kelly, global chief marketing officer, left in November and a trio of regional AKQA leaders in Amsterdam, Brazil and Paris left later that month, two of whom have been replaced.

Campaign understands from sources inside the company that the agency is not the same since Ahmed’s departure.

With a combined tenure of 25 years, Peterson and Budden both served on AKQA’s executive board, reporting to Ahmed. 

Previously Budden reported to Peterson when he was promoted to executive creative director for the London and Sweden offices in 2020. In 2024, Budden was elevated to global chief creative officer and joined the leadership team.

Four global chief creative officers remain at AKQA; it is not certain whether the agency will hire a fifth.

Peterson said, “Ajaz Ahmed founded an incredible company. Incredible clients believed in it, and a world-class team delivered on that promise. I’m grateful to all three for a truly formative chapter in life and look forward to what’s next.”

The pair have served many of the shop’s largest clients including Nike, Beats, H&M, Loewe, Volvo and the Royal Household.

Budden said, “Creating in a company founded by Ajaz Ahmed is like joining a great symphony – every note, every client, every player, a vital instrument in a beautiful world-class composition.”

Peterson joined the agency in 2012 as strategy director and head of social. Prior to his tenure at AKQA, he held roles at TBWA in Los Angeles and founded his own sports brand.

Budden began at the agency in AKQA Paris, where he worked with brands such as Red Bull, Nike, Hermés, Dior and Chanel. He then took the helm at AKQA’s New York studio, working with NBA, Beats by Dre, Maybelline and Converse.

AKQA has experienced further departures from its leadership team with Ron Peterson, managing partner of EMEA, and Johnny Budden, global chief creative officer, handing in their resignations.

Six senior leaders have left the WPP company in the past 60 days, following the departure of the agency's founder and group chief executive Ajaz Ahmed in October.

Sam Kelly, global chief marketing officer, left in November and a trio of regional AKQA leaders in Amsterdam, Brazil and Paris left later that month, two of whom have been replaced.

Campaign understands from sources inside the company that the agency is not the same since Ahmed’s departure.

With a combined tenure of 25 years, Peterson and Budden both served on AKQA’s executive board, reporting to Ahmed. 

Previously Budden reported to Peterson when he was promoted to executive creative director for the London and Sweden offices in 2020. In 2024, Budden was elevated to global chief creative officer and joined the leadership team.

Four global chief creative officers remain at AKQA; it is not certain whether the agency will hire a fifth.

Peterson said, “Ajaz Ahmed founded an incredible company. Incredible clients believed in it, and a world-class team delivered on that promise. I’m grateful to all three for a truly formative chapter in life and look forward to what’s next.”

The pair have served many of the shop’s largest clients including Nike, Beats, H&M, Loewe, Volvo and the Royal Household.

Budden said, “Creating in a company founded by Ajaz Ahmed is like joining a great symphony – every note, every client, every player, a vital instrument in a beautiful world-class composition.”

Peterson joined the agency in 2012 as strategy director and head of social. Prior to his tenure at AKQA, he held roles at TBWA in Los Angeles and founded his own sports brand.

Budden began at the agency in AKQA Paris, where he worked with brands such as Red Bull, Nike, Hermés, Dior and Chanel. He then took the helm at AKQA’s New York studio, working with NBA, Beats by Dre, Maybelline and Converse.

He collaborated with Hollywood director Matthew Vaughn on several projects, including the title sequence for MARV Studios, and developed visual identity work in collaboration with the Royal Household.

The shop took home the Digital Agency Global Network award at Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year Awards in 2022.

AKQA declined to comment on the pair's departure.

In 2014, AKQA officially opened its agency in India, led by Havas Media's former digital head, Anurag Bhatnagar. As the director of client services, he focused on building expertise with leading platform vendors. Upon its launch, the Gurgaon engineering centre provided specialist Adobe Marketing Cloud services for AKQA clients worldwide.

- This article was originally carried in Campaign UK and was edited for India.