NEW YORK: Laura Maness is stepping down as global chief executive of Grey, the 105-year-old advertising agency, after more than three years at the helm. In a LinkedIn post published on Thursday, Maness—the first woman to lead the storied shop—said she would be “passing the baton” to close colleagues whilst embarking on what she described as a “bold new chapter.” She offered no details about her next move.
The departure marks the end of a brief but eventful tenure for Maness, who became only the sixth global chief in Grey’s history when she took the reins in September 2022. During her time leading the WPP-owned agency, Grey operated as a standalone brand within the Ogilvy network, a structure designed to preserve its independence whilst leveraging the broader group’s resources.
Maness joined Grey from Havas, where she spent nearly a decade, most recently as chief executive of the group’s north American flagship. At Havas she drove what the industry regarded as a remarkable turnaround, earning the agency accolades including Digiday’s most innovative culture and Ad Age’s best places to work. She also steered Havas to become the first major network agency in America to achieve B Corp certification.
Before Havas, Maness spent six years at Designkitchen, an independent Chicago shop that was acquired by WPP in 2008 following growth she helped orchestrate. Her career spans stints at FCB Global, Propane and Wunderman, with early roles at Black Dog Interactive and Giant Step during the dot-com era.
Beyond her executive roles, Maness serves on several boards, including Tory Burch Foundation, Alembic Technologies, B Lab and the 4A’s, where she is vice chair. She co-chairs 50/50 Women on Boards and is a founding member of Chief, the invitation-only network for women leaders.
Grey, founded in 1917, markets itself on creating “famously effective” ideas for brands. The agency has been named to Newsweek’s top 100 global most loved workplaces and America’s greatest workplaces for women, with women representing 50 per cent of its executive leadership.
Maness’s cryptic sign-off—”As for what’s next? More to come”—has left industry observers guessing about her future plans.
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