Gabrielle Ludzker Takes Full Control of RAPP UK

Campaign’s customer engagement leader of the year Gabrielle Ludzker is to take full control of the RAPP UK business as Chris Freeland, executive chairman for UK, APAC and EMEA, announces his decision to step down after eight successful years. 

Gabrielle, UK CEO, now takes full control of the UK operation, which employs 580 people, helping clients such as IKEA, Mercedes, KFC, BBC, VirginMediaO2, to activate growth through precision and empathy.

Gabrielle who has fronted a series of recent new business wins, led the way on talent initiatives and delivered transformational results for clients, assumes full leadership with immediate effect.

Chris joined as RAPP UK CEO in 2016 and moved through a succession of executive positions. During his tenure he delivered successful revenue and headcount growth, steering major client wins such as Mercedes and VMO2, integrating data and technology arm CODE into the business and together with Gabrielle oversaw the merger with fellow Omnicom agency Proximity.

For Chris, business success has gone hand-in-hand with industry accolades for creative excellence in precision marketing with RAPP having garnered many awards including multiple DMAs, Campaign’s customer engagement UK Agency of the Year 2022 and 2023 and Global Agency of the Year 2023. He was personally acknowledged as Campaign’s Agency Leader of the Year in 2022.

Under his leadership, RAPP has maintained three successive years of IPA Platinum status for investment in people development and his contribution to the industry and culture has been recognised by the awarding of a Fellowship of the Marketing Society and as a recipient of the Leader of Kindness award in 2021.

Announcing his decision, Chris said, “My ambition back in January 2016 was simple - to get RAPP to the top of its game and to receive industry recognition for our shared success. I also made myself a promise - that once we got to the number one spot, I would leave on a high.

“I can fulfil my promise because of the amazing people that are in place to continue taking RAPP to the heights that it deserves, with Gabby Ludzker UK CEO, Daniel Menges APAC president, and Wolfgang Kaller, president RAPP Berlin, alongside their talented senior leadership teams.

“I have some time ‘in the garden’ to fully shape my long-held intention of doing something a little different at this stage in my career.

“I am so incredibly proud of what we have achieved together over the years, and I look forward to seeing RAPP continue to go from strength-to-strength.”

Kathy Simmel, global CEO, RAPP, said, “Chris is one of those leaders who marries both head and heart ensuring business success is matched in equal measure with people success. He will be missed by both colleagues and clients. We thank Chris, for leaving us in a great position for RAPP’s next chapter, under the leadership Gabrielle, Daniel and Wolfgang and their leadership teams.”

Gabrielle Ludzker said, “Ours has been one of the beautiful and successful partnerships in the industry and I can’t wait to see what Chris does next. My focus remains to continue our incredibly successful trajectory”