WPP's creative agency Wunderman Thompson ANZ is undergoing a leadership shuffle, as long-serving executive John Gutteridge steps down from his role as CEO.

Gutteridge is expected to be replaced by former Hogarth and Initiative boss Lee Leggett, who most recently has headed up strategic partnerships for production house Finch.

Wunderman Thompson appointed Gutteridge to the leadership role in January last year following the merger of J. Walter Thompson (JWT) and Wunderman in late 2018.

It's uncertain whether the move was instigated by WPP AUNZ CEO Jens Monsees as part of his broader transformation plan but there are signs of increasing unrest across the group. 

Gutteridge had served as Australasian and APAC CEO for JWT over the course of 10 years, as well as heading up the agency in other regions throughout his career.

"Once I decided to return to Australia, WPP AUNZ asked me to lead the merger of Wunderman and J Walter Thompson in Australia and New Zealand," Gutteridge says.

"But with the two brands now successfully working together and the business heading into its next phase, it was always my intention to hand the business over once the merger was complete."

Gutteridge says he is now moving onto a new and very different opportunity, which he felt "really energised by" and looked forward to discussing in more detail in due course.

Leggett joins from Finch, where she had been looking after strategic partnerships since October last year.

Her previous roles include GM of WPP-owned production house Hogarth, as well as CEO of IPG Mediabrands' media agency Initiative.

"We would like to thank John for his commitment to the business and helping to achieve the successful merger of Wunderman Thompson to become the data and technology powerhouse it now is.  We wish him well for the future," WPP AUNZ boss Jens Monsees says.

“Lee is a consummate leader driven by a focus on delivering impact through partnership, relationships and collaboration. Together, Lee and her team will start a new era at Wunderman Thompson utilising her vast digital knowledge and international experience to closely align the brand with the global WT positioning."

She starts immediately and will be based at Wunderman Thompson’s Sydney office.

The Wunderman Thompson merger was part of a wider strategy by WPP to streamline key agencies, which also included the formation fo VMLY&R and AMR and Colmar Brunton becoming AMR.

Monsees has also been actively introducing his new campus model structure in recent months.

The campus model will see 'leaders' in markets like Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth take part operational responsibility for all of the WPP brands within each state.

The new structure ditches the "horizontality" approach of WPP pushing units autonomously into more client contracts in favour of campus leaders co-ordinating a "client first" approach of delivering any and all capabilities when and how they need it.