Nigel Vaz to succeed Sarah Golding as IPA president
Nigel Vaz, chief executive EMEA and APAC for Publicis.Sapient, is to succeed Sarah Golding as the president of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).
Vaz will pick up the mantle from Goulding
Vaz will pick up the mantle from Golding, who is chief executive and partner at The &Partnership, when her two-year term comes to an end in March.
Having been at the helm of Sapient for close to two decades prior to its acquisition by Publicis Groupe, Vaz took on an expanded remit at the network in 2017, stepping into the role of global business transformation lead for its member executive committee. He is also on the board of The Marketing Society.
Vaz has been an elected member of the IPA Council since 2012 and is a contributor to its conferences and events. He will outline his agenda for the following two years at the IPA's president's lunch in May 2019.
"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," said Vaz.
"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."
Throughout her tenure, Golding chose to focus on 'the magic and the machines' as a theme, stating that she wanted her presidency to create "a new enthusiasm for what machines can do for member agencies".
Under her watch the trade body became more focused on the growing influence of adtech and the impact of online political advertising.
Against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement she also oversaw the rollout of a 'dignity' code of practice for members. The guidelines followed on from revelations that employees at her own firm had a tradition of sending 'top five' memos in which female employees were ranked by their looks, something Golding has since apologised for.
Vaz was chosen to lead the IPA following a formal three-month selection process led by former president Tom Knox, executive partner at MullenLowe London, who headed up the presidential nominating committee.
Paul Bainsfair, IPA director general, said: “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."