David Droga succeeds Brian Whipple as head of Accenture Interactive

David Droga, founder of creative agency Droga5, has been named CEO and creative chairman of Accenture Interactive.

Droga succeeds Brian Whipple, who has helmed Accenture’s marketing business since its launch a decade ago. Whipple oversaw more than 30 acquisitions and grew Accenture Interactive into the world’s largest digital agency network, reaching $10.6 billion in annual revenue.

Whipple will retire at the end of the month, having spent two decades at Accenture. He began his career at Accenture in 1987, spending ten years as a strategy consultant based in the Chicago office. Whipple split the next 12 years between ad agencies RAPP and Hill Holliday, where he served as senior vice president and chief operating officer, respectively.

He returned to Accenture in 2010 to lead Accenture Interactive. Whipple holds an MBA and BS from Duke University.

“I would like to thank and recognize Brian Whipple for his foundational role in building Accenture Interactive’s strong business, driving its rapid growth, and for pioneering a disruptive business model that will continue redefining the industry,” said Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture.Accenture Interactive bills itself as an experience agency that combines creative, business consulting, and technology consulting capabilities. Its services cover brand, data, marketing operations, and emerging technology, among other areas.

New CEO David Droga joined Accenture Interactive in 2019 when his ad agency, Droga5, was acquired by the Dublin-based consultancy. The deal for the renowned agency – which booked $200 million in annual revenue at the time of the transaction – was one of the highest profile acquisitions by Accenture Interactive to that point, with other bolt-ons including Karmarama and The Monkeys. Droga5 was recently named “Agency of the Decade” by Adweek and AdAge.

Prior to founding his agency, Droga served as worldwide chief creative officer of the Publicis Network. He is the most awarded creative at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and was the youngest person ever inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.

Aside from taking on the CEO role, Droga will continue to serve as creative chairman of Accenture Interactive – which is now the fourth largest agency network behind WPP, Omnicom, and Publicis.

“I look forward to putting further emphasis on our creative excellence, coupling it with our world-class ingenuity and proven expertise in Interactive and experiences,” Droga said.

Sweet added, “At a time when our clients are led by purpose, brand, and the transformation of experience, David’s global perspective and unmatched creative track record allows us to help clients unlock business and human outcomes in unprecedented ways.”