• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, December 16, 2014

WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather has named Ben Richards to the newly created role of Worldwide Chief Strategy Officer. Based in New York, He’s tasked with “leading business transformation” at the agency. 

O&M said that Richards, 35, will work alongside Worldwide Chairman and CEO Miles Young to lead strategy across all Ogilvy companies and offices globally to “drive transformation for the network and its clients.”  With the promotion, Richards also joins the company's Worldwide Executive Committee.

Richards joined Ogilvy in 2010 and has been serving as Worldwide Head of Integrated Strategy, a remit that will be folded into his new role. He will continue to work on the company's biggest clients, which include Coca-Cola, Unilever and IBM.

Commenting on the promotion, Young said, Richards’ “contribution at Ogilvy since his arrival – especially in developing industry-leading strategy products and leading strategy on our biggest global new business pitch wins – has been exceptional."

Young added, "Both the ideas we are being asked to create and the ways those ideas need to live in the world are evolving. Now more than ever, the job of strategy is to help make choices about all aspects of a client's business and brand – across every behavior, experience and expression – and this requires new thinking about change and change management."