David Droga to succeed Brian Whipple as CEO at Accenture Interactive
David Droga, the founder and chairman of Droga5, has been appointed as the chief executive of Accenture Interactive as current chief Brian Whipple readies for retirement.
Droga (right) takes over from Whipple (left)
Droga5 was acquired by Accenture in 2019 in what was one of the highest profile ad industry acquisitions at that time. It sparked a wave of industry speculation on the future of the famed ad shop as it prepared to mesh its culture with that of a management consultancy.
Founder Droga took on the role of creative chairman in what was seen as an attempt to preserve the creative spark of the agency.
He worked directly with Whipple on the integration – a familiar process for the latter who had at the time overseen no less than 30 acquisitions to create a so-called ‘culture of cultures’, including bringing fellow ad shops Karmarama and The Monkeys into the Interactive division.
In his new global role, Droga will “drive creative excellence, customer experience and business innovation”, said the company.
“Accenture Interactive has rapidly become the leading digital powerhouse at the intersection of data, creativity and technology,” said Droga on the promotion.
“As the world seeks to build back better, Interactive will continue to play a critical role in creating 360° value for our clients. I look forward to putting further emphasis on our creative excellence, coupling it with our world-class ingenuity and proven expertise in interactive and experiences.”
In tandem with Droga’s appointment, Accenture said Whipple would retire. Under his leadership, Accenture Interactive grew to $10.6bn in revenue last year.
“At a time when our clients are led by purpose, brand and the transformation of experience, David’s global perspective and unmatched creative track record allows us to help clients unlock business and human outcomes in unprecedented ways,” said Julie Sweet, chief executive of Accenture.
“I would like to thank and recognize Brian Whipple for his foundational role in building Accenture Interactive’s strong business, driving its rapid growth and for pioneering a disruptive business model that will continue redefining the industry,” she added.