Barclays marketer David Wheldon takes over as WFA president
Top Barclays marketer David Wheldon has taken the helm of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) replacing Martin Riley as president.
Wheldon, who is managing director of brand, reputation citizenship and marketing at Barclays, was announced as the new leader at the WFA’s annual general meeting in Marrakech as part ot the WFA’s Global Marketer Week, being held in Africa for the first time.
He replaced former chief marketing officer Pernod Ricard Martin Riley, and will hold the post for two years.
Prior to joining Barclays in 2012, Wheldon was global brand director of Vodafone between 2004 and 2010, and was vice president of advertising for Coca-Cola for four years until 1997.
He has also worked agency side working as president of BBDO Europe in 1997, and spent time as managing director of Lowe Howard Spink.
Wheldon said the WFA plays a "critical" role in representing marketers' interests, adding: "I look forward to helping to shape and drive the WFA agenda at a time where our industry is going through unprecedented change".
His appointment was welcomed by Stephan Loerke, managing director of the WFA, who described Wheldon as "one of the global industry's most respected figures" with vast experience of working with some of the world’s biggest brands and agencies.
This latter part is an attribute that will be "hugely beneficial as we start a deeper dialogue with advertising holding companies,” he said.
“I would also like to pay tribute to Martin Riley and extend him my sincerest thanks on behalf of all WFA members. He has shown remarkable leadership, vision and inclusivity and leaves the organization significantly stronger as a result,” he added.
The WFA also added eight corporate members to the board, including:
- Americo Campos Silva, global media manager, Shell;
- Francisco Casa de Falguera, chief marketing officer, Grupo Bimbo;
- Paloma Castro Martinez, director of global corporate affairs, LVMH;
- Damien Cummings, chief marketing officer, Philips ASEAN & Pacific;
- Sameer Desai, head of consumer healthcare, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, Mundipharma;
- Thomas Holzapfel, global category leader marketing, Deutsche Telekom;
- Jean Jacques Velkeniers, vice president, marketing for Europe, AB InBev.
- Sandra Martinelli, executive vice-president of the Brazilian Advertisers Association (ABA).
View a Q&A with David Wheldon as he outlines his future road map and the core challenges for marketers, here.