In It Together: VML & Ogilvy Japan’s Co-CEOs Plan for Unity and Deeper Connections

In March this year, VML & Ogilvy Japan announced the promotion of Joshua Goodall and Asuka Yokota from managing directors to co-CEOs, in line with the business’ plans to strengthen key client relationships and accelerate growth.

The two work in partnership together, with Joshua responsible for enhancing capabilities with direct oversight of finance and legal affairs, and Asuka focusing on cultivating client relationships and leading initiatives related to human resources and culture.

In this interview, Joshua and Yosuka speak with LBB’s Sunna Coleman about powerful partnerships, the most exciting opportunities ahead, and their goal to help the team “do the best work of their lives.”

LBB> Congratulations on your appointment as co-CEOs. What are you most excited about in the expansion of your roles?

Joshua> The opportunity to evolve the agency offering and depth of capability is an exciting prospect. We're building from a strong base with high quality client relationships in place. Showing up with greater impact and drive to create meaningful change in our client’s business is where our focus will continue to be.

Equally, bringing our team on the journey of modernising our offer is something we both highly value. We want VML & Ogilvy Japan to be the place where people get to do the best work of their lives for both client partners and our team.

Asuka> I'm excited to lead the agency through this transition, especially as the industry landscape and client demands are shifting so rapidly. Our priority is to future-proof the agency to enable us to continue to lead our clients effectively.

Equally important, I believe our people are looking for guidance, a north star to show them where we're headed. I'm thrilled that Joshua and I can provide that vision and direction.

LBB> You both previously worked as managing directors at the company. What’s your working relationship like and how do your skills complement each other’s?

Joshua> Asuka and I have known each other for some time now and worked closely as members of the WPP Executive Committee in Japan. Our shared values on client success and team development mean we’re approaching business leadership from the same orientation. Going into the role we’ve co-created our own charter for success and how we’re going to work together as one team. The pragmatism between us to get on with the work and put our clients, team and the business at the forefront makes our partnership easy to evolve into the role we’ve taken on together.

Asuka> WPP agencies in Japan benefit from a highly-collaborative environment. I led a digital media team at Essencemediacom, where I had the privilege of working with Joshua on a social pitch. We had opportunities to collaborate on multiple projects.

After I joined VML & Ogilvy Japan, our collaboration deepened as managing directors. Even then, we were able to discuss and align on the agency's future direction.

What makes our partnership particularly effective is the way our skills and experiences complement each other. I believe that our diverse backgrounds bring unique strengths to the table. My experiences outside the agency, combined with my strong focus on people engagement and my deep understanding of the local culture, are invaluable to our success. Joshua’s international background and diverse perspective offer a unique and equally valuable viewpoint that I deeply appreciate.

By combining these diverse perspectives, we're confident that we can foster a balanced and inclusive agency culture that truly embraces diversity in all its forms. I see this synergy as a key strength that we can leverage across all areas of the business, from developing innovative client strategies to nurturing a thriving internal team.

LBB> What are some of the biggest lessons on leadership you’ve learned in your careers so far and what sort of leader do you hope to be as co-CEO?

Joshua> Modelling success has been a key foundation for me and something I strive to emulate with the team around me. Showing up with intent and keeping the focus on higher order goals has always helped to create an environment where standards are widely known and the journey, even if uncharted, is embarked on together with confidence. Being in it together as a team, and not just between me and Asuka, but with clients, colleagues and partners is critical to having an impact.

Asuka> The biggest lessons on leadership I have learned include: having a POV, being empathetic, decisive, optimistic, fair and transparent, and to always ‘listen, listen, and listen’. These are the values I want to keep holding onto as a leader.

LBB> Joshua, you will be responsible for enhancing capabilities with direct oversight of finance and legal affairs. Can you tell us more about your immediate goals and your vision for growth?

Joshua> The agency landscape is rapidly evolving and we must change too. This isn’t just in the work, but how we create and price value. Technology is having an unprecedented effect on the work we do. How we create, deliver and monetise value are all critical factors around how an agency moves with the times.

The uniqueness of operating the VML and Ogilvy brands in Japan under one management structure means we're drawing upon the strengths of WPP’s two strongest creative networks. As part of WPP, VML & Ogilvy Japan is uniquely positioned to offer holistic insights through partnerships that extend beyond the Ogilvy and VML global networks, encompassing the diverse agency brands within WPP. This collaborative approach allows VML & Ogilvy Japan to forge deeper and more impactful relationships with both international and Japanese brands, leveraging our combined capabilities and global networks.

Our depth of expertise, spanning brand strategy through to experience design, provides a raft of capabilities that directly benefit our clients. By further integrating these capabilities and delving deeper into the challenges our clients face, VML & Ogilvy Japan can unlock greater value through growth acceleration, experience modernisation, and technology enablement.

With such powerful tools at our disposal, I'm focused on how we ensure we’re consistently enabling our clients to reach better, more impactful outcomes in ways they may not have been able to realise previously.

LBB> Asuka, you will be cultivating client relationships while also leading initiatives related to human resources and culture. What are some of your top priorities and how do you see VML & Ogilvy evolving in this respect?

Asuka> One of my top priorities is to unite our internal teams. I believe a clear vision, direction, and set of principles will foster a sense of unity. I also want to ensure we have the right people with the right skills to confidently represent us to clients.

To that end, Joshua and I are discussing how to develop new capabilities and processes to cultivate stronger client relationships. We also want to invest more in growing our people/talents. This means providing more opportunities for training, having them exposed to different opportunities and experiences. I truly believe nourishing and growing people ultimately drives the success of our agency's future.

LBB> What are some of the most exciting opportunities you’re seeing in Japan right now? What do you most love about working here?

Joshua> The ways of old are not necessarily the way opportunities in the future are going to be realised. Japan is in somewhat of a twilight era of marketing and communications growth. The shift to new media and experience-led consumer engagement is being felt on a daily basis. Applying brand strategy thinking to contemporary consumer insights and behaviours across a rapidly changing landscape is exciting for all.

Personally, the people, the culture and the work are deeply enriching for any professional working here and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take the business forward with Asuka.

Asuka> What I love most about working in Japan right now is the opportunity to provide guidance to clients who are actively seeking it. It's also incredibly rewarding to help Japanese clients expand their businesses globally, leveraging our strong global network.

I'm passionate about fostering and cultivating young, ambitious talent. And the rapid advancements in digitisation and AI are creating a dynamic and exciting environment to work in.