Rapp promotes two as Ludzker takes complete control

Rapp UK is continuing to build its leadership team from within with the promotion of both Sam Kennedy to executive vice-president of client leadership and Jessica Vo to executive vice-president of global marketing orchestration.

The promotions coincide with a new era of transformation under the leadership of UK CEO Gabby Ludzker, who has taken full control of the agency following the recent departure of executive chair for the UK and APAC Chris Freeland.

The moves are also in recognition of what the Omnicom agency calls “significant achievements”. For Kennedy (pictured, right), the promotion follows success in evolving the Mercedes-Benz account with a new agency model, while for Vo (pictured, far left) it has been the implementation of the next-gen marketing orchestration platform across the Omnicom group.

The focus for both will now be on scaling these successes across the agency, with an emphasis on driving client growth through precision and empathy.

Kennedy, who joined Rapp in 2021 to establish the Mercedes-Benz team following the Omnicom holding company win, was previously Managing Director at McCann Enterprise and chief operating officer at Evidently.

In her new role, she will continue to lead and grow the Mercedes-Benz UK team, as well as take on the additional responsibilities of nurturing and growing client business across the agency’s portfolio; a role she took over at the beginning of the year from Ed Lee, who had been executive client leadership director.

Vo, meanwhile, joins the Rapp leadership team in the newly created role after two years of assembling a specialised marketing systems team and integrating ArtBot, Omnicom Precision Marketing Group’s automated production tool.

Her efforts have driven success across clients within the automotive, luxury and financial sectors, and her team have played pivotal roles in Rapp’s recent new business success. Her role within the ArtBot platform has also been instrumental in driving growth for key clients such as Virgn Media O2 and KFC.

In her new role, Vo will be responsible for scaling the marketing orchestration department globally, connecting teams, channels, content, workflow, and data to provide a seamless customer experience for Rapp’s clients, both in the UK and globally.

Ludzker said: “Both Sam and Jess have been pivotal in helping our clients grow and transform – making them the natural choice to help lead Rapp, our clients and our people into the future and beyond.

“Their expertise and ambition aligns perfectly with Rapp’s vision, ensuring we continue to deliver growth at scale, while fostering innovation and inclusivity. I’m delighted that they are joining the leadership team and I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for us.”

This move follows a number of major strategic partnership wins for Rapp, including B&Q’s loyalty and CRM business.