VML Germany Announces Vanessa Kerkhoff as CEO

Vanessa Kerkhoff has been named as CEO of VML Germany. Vanessa joined WPP in 2022 as CEO of Wunderman Thompson Germany. In this time Vanessa is credited with several changes and successes, including winning the Koerber business as Agency of Record in August 2023.

VML Germany's top clients include leading brands in the B2C and B2B sectors including Microsoft, Beiersdorf, Bayer, Koerber, Coty, and Mercedes Benz. Just two months ago, the agency acquired three new prestigious clients: MOIA, NUK, and DocMorris.

Vanessa will report to Ewen Sturgeon, CEO VML EMEA. On the appointment Ewen commented, “I am absolutely delighted that Vanessa will be leading the VML brand in Germany. Her dynamic leadership style and client centric approach will ensure we create a thriving business ensuring our clients are offered the very best of our connected brands offer across brand experience, customer experience & commerce.”

VML Germany is made up of a strong leadership team working alongside Vanessa: Stephan Lämmermann has been named as VML’s chief growth & technology officer; Christian Bihn will act as chief strategy officer; Blundstone Osterberger will lead client management as chief client officer Simona Suman will become chief creative officer and will be responsible for expanding the creative business; Florian Straßer, formerly executive director finance at Ogilvy in Frankfurt, will take over the position of chief financial officer; Christina Kutschinski will act as chief people officer; and finally, Maximilian Ofer will head up VML Germany’s Health Unit, which was founded in April 2022, to drive forward the agency's ambitions in the healthcare sector.

On her appointment, Vanessa Kerkhoff commented, "My team and I have achieved a lot during the last two years and are set up for success. It fills us with pride to be now part of the global powerhouse VML - a unique agency group that is dedicated to modern marketing and can serve it comprehensively thanks to its size, expertise, diversity, integration and, finally, its global footprint. Our portfolio ranges from brand experience to customer experience to commerce, i.e., the actual transaction with the end customer, and every conceivable step in between.’'

Operational from January 1, 2024, VML has entered the German market with offices in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, and Düsseldorf.