• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, January 27, 2015

Wunderman, part of WPP’s Young & Rubicam Group, is getting a new CEO — Mark Read, the CEO of WPP Digital, will take the CEO reins of the direct marketing and CRM giant effective Feb. 1.

Read, who became chairman of Wunderman last June, succeeds Daniel Morel, who will become non-executive chairman of the agency. Read will retain his WPP Digital responsibilities.

When Read assumed the chairmanship of Wunderman last year, the agency said the would work with Morel to bolster the shop’s digital and technology efforts, as well as help strengthen the firm’s ties with WPP’s new media partners, including Adobe, Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft.

“This is particularly appropriate at a time when clients are seeking counsel from their agencies on how to harness the new media,” the agency stated at the time.

Read’s move to the Wunderman chairman’s spot, which had been held by Morel, followed a decision by Microsoft to consolidate most of its creative business with Interpublic. Wunderman lost some of its global deployment business as part of that decision, but the agency’s digital and direct engagements were not included in that review. 

Morel has led Wunderman for 14 years. According to WPP CEO Martin Sorrell, Morel decided that now “is the right time to pass the torch.”

Of Read, Sorrell said he “brings a wealth of knowledge in digital technology and its application to marketing services, as well as strong links with our new media partners.”

Added Read: “Wunderman is extremely well-positioned to help clients succeed in a marketing world being reshaped by companies, including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Tencent. It can bring clients a powerful combination of creativity, data and technology, allowing them to build much more personal connections with their customers and drive business results. Daniel and his team have transformed this business, and I’m looking forward to working with the people of Wunderman on the next stage of its growth.”

Said Morel: “It has been a privilege to follow in the steps of Lester Wunderman at the head of this great company. I cannot be more proud of what the team has achieved over the past 14 years.”