WFA makes raft of leadership appointments including Mars’ Matthias Berninger as deputy president
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has named a new leadership team with 12 new appointments to its executive committee and other senior positions.
The executive committee, made up of senior marketers and public affairs executives, is the senior decision-making body in the organisation and is charged with devising and steering WFA strategy.
Martin Riley, CMO at Pernod Ricard, will remain as president, a position he was appointed to last March, while Matthias Berninger, vice president, public affairs for Mars, has been appointed deputy president. He replaces Stephen Kehoe, head of global financial inclusion and regional corporate relations, Visa worldwide.
Mike Hughes, director general of the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) has been appointed WFA treasurer, replacing Gérard Noël, vice president and director general of the French Advertisers Association.
Loïc Armand, president, L’Oréal France, has become the new regional vice-president for western Europe. He replaces Paul Jackson, formerly external advertising affairs director at Mars.
Meanwhile Idorenyen Enang, managing director for Central & West Africa at L’Oréal has been appointed regional vice president for Africa. He previously undertook the same role between 2010 and 2012 when working for Samsung. Since 2012 the post has remained empty.
Javier Medrano, senior vice president of marketing at Grupo Bimbo, will become the regional vice president for Latin America from 1 July this year. He will replace Mario Davis, president of the Chilean Advertisers Association.
Stephan Loerke, managing director of the WFA said: “We’re delighted that so many senior marketers and public affairs executives are willing to devote their time to serve on our Executive and ensure that the WFA drives action on brand owners’ priority issues.
“I take it as a sign that the work we do is taken extremely seriously when people with such demanding roles can add this responsibility to their day job. Equally, my sincere thanks go to our departing executive committee members and regional vice presidents for the time and effort they have put into the organisation.”
The committee helps marketers be more effective and efficient in terms of their marketing communications spend, while helping brand owners protect and future proof their license to operate through advocacy and effective self-regulation.