Emily Wilcox, CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, is leaving the agency after nearly two years leading it. Wilcox will depart Oct. 1 and plans to “take some time to explore what’s next,” according to Ad Age, which first reported the news.
“With the agency in a good place, Emily felt it was the right moment to pursue new opportunities,” a TBWA spokesperson said in a statement to Ad Age. “We are incredibly grateful to her for all that she has done; bringing operational acumen, winning new business, building strong client relationships and playing a key role in elevating our people, culture and creative work at a critical moment for the agency.”
Her exit closes a relatively brief chapter at one of advertising’s most storied agencies. Wilcox joined TBWA\Chiat\Day New York in April 2024 following eight years at independent shop Johannes Leonardo, where she served as CEO, managing director and head of account management.
At the time of her hiring, Wilcox described TBWA as an opportunity she “couldn’t refuse,” citing the network’s long-standing philosophy of Disruption and the chance to work within what she called a global collective of more than 11,000 creative people.
Her mandate was ambitious: help shape a new era for the New York office while creating an environment in which bold creative thinking could flourish.
Throughout her tenure, Wilcox repeatedly emphasized the connection between agency culture and creative output. In a 2024 interview with Little Black Book shortly after taking the role, she said great work depended on creating the psychological safety people need to take risks.
“Creativity is ultimately the expression of what’s inside people’s minds, bodies and souls,” Wilcox said at the time, adding that when people are supported and able to bring forward ideas that might initially seem “crazy,” that is where great creativity lives.
She also spoke openly about her desire to expand TBWA\Chiat\Day’s creative reputation beyond traditional advertising campaigns and into broader brand experiences spanning design, activation, innovation, communications and media.
“I want us to be known for having big ideas that drive big cultural moments and define brands,” Wilcox told LBB.
Wilcox brought more than two decades of agency experience to the role.
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Before joining TBWA, she spent more than eight years at Johannes Leonardo, helping the independent agency grow from approximately 30 employees to 200 while working across brands including Amazon, adidas, EA Sports, Instagram and Uber. During her tenure, the agency doubled its talent retention rate and produced its first Super Bowl campaign.
Earlier in her career, Wilcox spent five years at Saatchi & Saatchi New York, where she held senior account leadership roles and advocated for a more business-focused approach to agency-client relationships.
Beyond TBWA, Wilcox currently serves on the boards of Queens Community House and the Ad Council and is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council.
Her departure comes at a time of continued change across the advertising industry, particularly among large network agencies as holding companies rethink leadership structures, capabilities and operating models.
Wilcox acknowledged that environment almost from the moment she joined TBWA.
“This industry has always been fluid, and like all great agencies, change is inevitable,” she said in 2024.
When asked then how she hoped her impact on TBWA\Chiat\Day New York would eventually be defined, Wilcox envisioned an agency recognized as a destination for ambitious creative talent, ideas and clients.
“I hope that five years from now, TBWA\Chiat\Day NY will be known as the home for the most ambitious ideas, talent and clients that shape culture and the world as we know it,” she said.
Her own next chapter will arrive sooner than that.
“I’m taking some time to explore what’s next,” Wilcox said. “I’m really energized by opportunities that continue to let me build, shape teams and work at the intersection of creativity and business impact. I’m excited for the next chapter, but I’m giving myself the space to be thoughtful about it.”
While TBWA didn’t share news about a replacement, it did confirm that it has appointed new leadership, with more details to come “in the coming weeks.”
For now, Wilcox says she plans to step away and explore what comes next. REEL 360 News wishes Emily the best of luck on her new adventure.
