Nigel Vaz, Business Transformation Lead and Executive Committee Member at Publicis Groupe has been nominated as the IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) President-elect to succeed Sarah Golding, CEO of The&Partnership. The election will take place as part of the IPA AGM proceedings on the 21st March 2019.
Vaz was chosen following a formal three-month selection process led by former President Tom Knox, Executive Partner, MullenLowe London, who headed up the Presidential Nominating Committee.
Says Tom Knox: “I could not be more delighted that Nigel has agreed to take on this role. He is the perfect person to lead our industry at this time of tumultuous change. Following on from Sarah’s ‘Magic and the machines’ agenda, Nigel’s experience and knowledge will be invaluable in helping us all make the most of the opportunities that technology offers. I’m sure he will be an outstanding President.”
Says Paul Bainsfair, IPA Director General: “I am very much looking forward to working with Nigel to ensure the IPA remains the power behind the practitioners. He is a man who encompasses all the skills we need as an industry and who is already a well-known champion for technology and transformation. We continue to live in interesting times and his perspective on world, as well as local, issues will be invaluable as the IPA carves out its global reputation through its thought leading initiatives, professional qualifications and navigates it way through increasingly complex business issues.”
Says Nigel Vaz: “It is a real honour to be chosen as the next President of the IPA, and I look forward to building on the extraordinary work of my predecessors in championing our industry and its impact in the world. Wherever we look today, we see rapid and fundamental change affecting consumers, economies and culture, clients and our own businesses. The creativity and the technologies that help us to unleash that creativity will be vital to helping navigate that change – and the role and work of the IPA in ensuring we are fit and ready for the opportunity it brings has never been more vital.”
Vaz serves as Publicis Groupe’s Global Business Transformation Lead and is CEO for Publicis.Sapient across the EMEA and APAC regions where he is responsible for driving forward the company’s vision of partnering with clients to ensure they are successful at reimagining and transforming their business for the digital age. He has held a variety of leadership positions with Sapient prior to its acquisition by Publicis Groupe where he now serves as a member of its Executive Committee.
Vaz’s roots are in strategy and technology where he has consistently helped clients to build businesses and create sustainable value propositions for their brands by operating at the intersection of strategic thinking, creativity and technology. Prior to Sapient he was a successful entrepreneur.
Nigel Vaz has been an elected member of the IPA Council since 2012 and is a contributor to its conferences and events, most recently delivering a “CEO perspective on the future of agencies and brands” at Eff Week. He is a regular commentator on industry issues for national and broadcast media and is, additionally, a board member of The Marketing Society and Inductee of the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame.
The new President will take over officially at a short Special Council meeting, which will follow on from the quarterly Council meeting and the AGM on 21st March 2019.
The IPA Council is the elected governing body of the IPA with responsibility for overseeing its membership, strategic focus and management. It is chaired by the IPA President, who is supported by the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer
