WPP has announced the departure of Jordi Urbea from Ogilvy Spain after more than 27 years as part of the agency. The manager led the Barcelona office until July 2025, when he was appointed CEO for Spain after the departure of Marta Gutiérrez, who until now served as CEO of Ogilvy Madrid.
The group points out that Urbea is now beginning a new stage and that the details about Ogilvy’s future organizational structure will be communicated soon.

“They have been extraordinarily enriching years from a professional and human point of view.“; explained Jordi Urbea in the company statement. “I feel deeply grateful for having been part of a project that has marked my career and has allowed me to work alongside exceptional teams and clients. “I face this new stage with enthusiasm and with the conviction that the bonds built during all these years will continue to be part of my professional and personal life.”.

He has expanded the reflection through Linkedin. In his publication he claims to have defended the main lesson of David Ogilvy, founder of the agency, that “People matter, brands matter and creativity, when it goes hand in hand with a great idea, continues to have the power to change the world.He also points out that leaving Ogilvy Spain at the best moment in its history is a “great happiness” and his “best legacy to you and to you, David”.

“I leave with a feeling that is difficult to describe. There is nostalgia, of course. It would be impossible for there not to be one. I am from Ogilvy and always will be. But, above all, I feel gratitude. The peace of mind of having given everything. The satisfaction of having enjoyed every stage of the journey“; commented Urbea. “And the privilege of having led this ship, of having accompanied so many people in their growth and of closing this chapter knowing that the company is going through a great moment, surrounded by extraordinary talent and prepared to continue writing new stories.”.

WPP highlights the manager’s contribution to the development of both Ogilvy and the group in the national market. They assure that under their leadership, the agency has evolved towards a model of integration of creative, technological and customer experience capabilities, and has reinforced its positioning as a key player in the Spanish advertising industry. Furthermore, they maintain that Urbea has established itself as “one of the most recognized figures in the communication, creativity and marketing sector in Spain”.

“Jordi’s career, marked by constant curiosity and anticipation of change, leaves us with a solid foundation and an invaluable culture of innovation.“said Alberto Knapp, President of WPP Iberia. “We face the future with the ambition to continue leading the market, integrating new technological and creative capabilities to continue driving the growth of our clients in this new era. We wish Jordi the greatest success in his new projects; your footprint will always be part of WPP”.

Jordi Urbea’s departure from Ogilvy Spain takes place after a series of national and international restructurings at the advertising conglomerate. In Spain, Alberto Knapp was named the new President of WPP Spain in July last year, replacing Juan Pedro Moreno, who had held the position for almost three years. Previously, in March, Sebas Muriel, who was CEO of GroupM Spain, left to assume the responsibilities of Chief Digital Officer at Telefónica.

Furthermore, internationally, WPP announced in June 2025 that Mark Read, CEO of the company since September 2018, was leaving his position and his position as a member of the board. He was replaced by Cindy Rose, who has held the position of Chief Executive Officer of WPP for almost a year.

More than three decades in marketing and advertising

Jordi Urbea has developed the bulk of his professional career within Ogilvy. He has served as CEO of the agency for Spain for the last year, a responsibility that he has combined with the leadership of Ogilvy’s CRM and Loyalty projects in the European region.

He assumed the position after leading the Barcelona office for seven years, a position he assumed in 2018, when he was also appointed Senior Vice President of Ogilvy in Spain. Previously, he had served as General Director of Ogilvy & Mather in Barcelona since 2011 and as General Director of OgilvyOne Barcelona since 2004. He reached this position after five years as General Director of Ogilvy Interactive.

Urbea began to form part of the Ogilvy structure when in 1999 it sold its own interactive agency, created a year earlier and called Avatar e-Studios, to Bassat Ogilvy & Mather. His professional experience up to that point had been developed in pioneering companies in the digital world, such as Servicom, EresMas, Wanadoo or Intercom, among others.