Annette King calls time on 'wild and wonderful' career

Accenture Song global lead Dame Annette King has stepped down from her role following a 35-year career that has seen her head up some of the biggest agencies in the business, proving a true inspiration for many other female leaders to break through the glass ceiling.

One of the industry’s most highly respected bosses, King said she felt “extraordinarily lucky to have been embraced by the sector and the many people who make it the wild and wonderful place that it is”.

King joined Accenture Song in October 2023 from her role as chief executive of Publicis Groupe UK, where she was responsible for the group’s UK businesses including Publicis, Sapient, Zenith, and Saatchi & Saatchi.

She started her career at Wunderman in the early 1990s, before switching to the agency’s New York office in 1996, and joined OgilvyOne in 2000 to run the integrated American Express business.

She then went through a series of promotions, including client service director, head of new business, and deputy managing director before being appointed managing director of OgilvyOne in 2007 and chief executive a year later. King was handed the EMEA role in 2012, and was then promoted to CEO of Ogilvy Group in 2014.

King said: “To those who know me, it’s no exaggeration to say that this industry has been one of my great loves. I have seen and learned a lot over the past few decades and, after my time at Accenture Song, I can confidently say that we’re in for our most exciting chapter yet. I would have loved to continue leading the marketing practice, but a recent health experience has made it clear to me that it is time for a change, and so, while it has not been an easy decision, it is the right one.”

Accenture Song chief executive David Droga added: “My professional affection and deep respect for Annette is no secret. She is as brilliant as she is lovely. And for the record, I was a fan long before the royal family.

“While her time at Song was shorter than we both would have liked, her impact has been vast and meaningful. The team she built and the confidence and calmness she instilled will echo for years.

“But life has a funny way of resetting priorities, and I couldn’t be prouder of our relationship and her decision. We will be friends for life, and she will be a Song mentor in perpetuity.”

Even so, this is not the end of King’s 35-year career in the advertising and marketing industry; she will continue in her roles as a non-executive director at Channel 4 and the chair of the Advertising Association.