Wunderman Thompson Germany Appoints Vanessa Kerkhoff as CEO

Wunderman Thompson Germany today announces the  appointment of Vanessa Kerkhoff as chief executive officer. She will take on the role from August 1st and report to Ewen Sturgeon, CEO International EMEA & APAC at Wunderman Thompson. Vanessa joins Wunderman Thompson from Havas where she was CEO and managing director, leading the German operation from Düsseldorf for the past three years. At the 200-strong agency, she drove the internal IE&D program, increasing the visibility and relevance of these topics and establishing a corresponding culture in the country. 

Prior to her role at Havas, Vanessa, who is an avid sportswoman, spent 10 years in the US, living in New York and Chicago, and working in various leadership positions for US Omnicom agencies, most recently as vice president and global group director of BBDO New York. Over the course of her career, 

Vanessa has worked for clients including Mars, Reckitt Benckiser, Huawei, Volvo, Peugeot, Citroen, Santander Bank, DWS / Deutsche Bank, Bayer, Pfizer Inc, and more.  

"Wunderman Thompson's unparalleled ability to offer end-to-end solutions that sit at the intersection of creativity, technology, and data at scale is impressive. I’m very excited to become part of this innovative company and help our clients future-proof their business by implementing cutting-edge solutions, which certainly inspire them on their growth journey.”  

Wunderman Thompson Germany outgoing CEO Larissa Pohl will remain in her position until Vanessa takes the reigns on August 1st. She will remain within the WPP network, leading the European operation of WPP’s bespoke unit that was created to serve The Coca-Cola Company, which she has been doing additionally since January this year.  

"Vanessa comes on board at just the right time. We have successfully completed the merger and integration into Wunderman Thompson, so I’m confident her fresh perspective and extensive experience will steer Wunderman Thompson Germany into the future as we position ourselves as inspiration experts to be a true growth partner for our clients," added Larissa.