Ogilvy Thailand Announces Leadership Transition

BANGKOK, 18 August 2026 — Ogilvy Thailand today announced the appointment of Mettipapan Tongton as Ogilvy Lead, succeeding Chief Executive Officer Jiravara Virayavardhana, who is retiring after more than 31 years with the company, most recently leading Ogilvy Thailand. Effective August 2026, this strategic appointment arrives at a pivotal moment as WPP drives a simpler, faster, and more connected operating model.

Ogilvy’s Strong Global Leadership and Reputation

A part of the world’s #1 Creative Network of the Year, Ogilvy Thailand continues its outstanding momentum, highlighted by its iconic, award-winning campaign for "Thai Life Insurance" at the Cannes Lions 2026. Furthermore, Ogilvy was recently ranked the #1 global agency network for combined creative excellence and marketing effectiveness in the WARC Rankings, named the 2026 Network Agency of the Year for the fourth consecutive year at the Clio Awards 2026, and recognized as the Most Effective Agency Network at the Effie Awards. These accolades underscore Ogilvy's unparalleled capability to harness the power of creative excellence to drive real business results for clients.

Collaborating with the Current Leadership Team to Drive Success

In her new role, Mettipapan will work closely with Ogilvy Thailand's senior leadership team, as well as regional and global leaders across the network, partnering closely with the agency’s Chief Creative Officer (CCO) in Thailand, Pete Thasorn Boonyanate. Together they will reinforce Ogilvy Thailand's commitment to pioneering creative excellence and driving seamless growth for client brands and businesses both in Thailand and across the region.

Mettipapan brings more than 18 years of experience in the marketing communications industry, having grown within the organisation to serve on Ogilvy's executive board before being appointed Managing Director of Ogilvy One and T&Pm, a WPP agency that partners with Ogilvy across Asia-Pacific. Her expertise spans modern brand management, online-to-offline (O2O) communications strategy, customer experience, and marketing technology-enabled customer relationship management. In her new role, Mettipapan will focus on driving creative excellence and accelerating innovation through WPP Open, WPP's shared AI-powered operating system, while scaling integrated capabilities across brand strategy, communications, experience design and public relations.

Reflecting on her three decades with the agency, Jiravara Virayavardhana said: "My time at Ogilvy Thailand has been both the greatest challenge and the greatest privilege of my career. This is not simply an advertising agency, it is a family of exceptionally talented people who believe in the power of creativity. The work our teams have created for our clients and their brands is a source of enormous pride, built on the distinctive foundation that is uniquely Ogilvy. That strong foundation will be the driving force that carries Ogilvy Thailand forward with confidence and effectiveness.

I am fully confident that Ogilvy Thailand will reach even greater heights of success, while continuing to deliver outstanding creative work and maintain enduring client relationships.”

Mettipapan Tongton said: "I am deeply honoured to step into this leadership role. While the agency landscape is changing faster than ever, Ogilvy Thailand's mission remains constant: to deliver creative excellence and drive growth for our clients. In today's complex economic and marketing environment, brands need an agency that acts as a true partner, one that can advise closely and in depth, while bringing strategic capability, creativity and the reach of a global network. Working closely with other WPP agencies gives us the very best of that network to elevate the creative work our clients have long trusted us to deliver, supported by world-class technology."

Laurent Ezekiel, Global CEO of Ogilvy, said: "On behalf of everyone across our global network, I want to pay tribute to Jiravara for an extraordinary 31 years of service to Ogilvy Thailand. Her leadership has been defined by an unwavering commitment to creative excellence, to our clients, and to the people around her, and she leaves behind a legacy that will shape this agency for years to come. We are enormously grateful for everything she has built.

At the same time, I could not be more excited about what lies ahead. Mettipapan is exactly the kind of leader Ogilvy Thailand needs for this next chapter - ambitious, forward-thinking, and deeply connected to our clients' needs. As we continue to bring the full strength of Ogilvy's Borderless Creativity to markets around the world, working hand-in-hand with WPP Creative, I have every confidence that under her leadership, Ogilvy Thailand will continue to build on its remarkable legacy and deliver outstanding creative and commercial success for our clients."

"Borderless Creativity"

Ogilvy Thailand has long been recognised as one of the strongest creative agencies in the network across Asia. Guided by its "Borderless Creativity" strategy, the agency solves complex business challenges at speed, combining highly effective strategic counsel from its specialist teams with WPP Open, WPP's world-leading AI-powered operating system. This elevates research and puts timely, actionable data to work in campaigns that generate maximum impact for every brand — building the competitive strength to stand out powerfully on the world stage. This is the core of how Ogilvy Thailand drives communications that deliver success for its clients.