TBWA's Newly Named Global CEO Erin Riley Talks Disruption and Leadership

Erin Riley has climbed the ladder at TBWA over the last eight years, and now she has risen to the top role as global chief executive officer. It’s a promotion that will allow the agency network to continue its role as an industry disruptor. Riley’s elevation from U.S. CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day is part of a new global leadership team for 2025. Erwan Guillou, currently TBWA\Chiat\Day U.S. CFO and global chief pricing officer, has been appointed as global CFO. The appointments follow the formation of Omnicom’s new global division, Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), which elevated former TBWA global CEO Troy Ruhanen to global CEO of OAG alongside global CFO Denis Streiff. “I've been here a little over eight years, and one of the things that’s so brilliant about Troy's leadership is how much he emphasized the collective, and how much time and money he spent bringing the leaders of all of the markets together in a very collaborative way,” Riley told ADWEEK. Riley feels comfortable with the dynamics of the TBWA network, having worked with many of the people since 2016, when she joined TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles as president. “I know these people intimately. I call upon them for advice, inspiration,” she said. Riley became CEO of the L.A. office in 2021. In 2023, she went on to oversee the successful unification of Chiat\Day\New York and L.A. as Chiat\Day U.S. CEO. In partnership with Guillou, Riley has driven growth across TBWA\Chiat\Day U.S. She played an integral role in recent new business success, winning clients including Discover, DirecTV, Levi’s, and Sephora, as well as nurturing long-standing client relationships with Hilton, Gatorade, and others. She also helped TBWA to back-to-back ADWEEK Global Agency of the Year wins in 2021 and 2022. Prior to TBWA, Riley was vp of marketing and brand engagement at retailer Old Navy. Ruhanen is proud that Riley has been elevated, along with other longtime TBWA insider talent, rewarding the agency’s best. “Erin is a powerhouse. She leads with both head and heart, with an exceptional sixth sense for what will make a difference for the brands across TBWA’s portfolio. She builds enviable talent pools and brings everyone along with her. With Erwan at her side, the 11,000-strong collective is in the best possible hands,” said Ruhanen in a statement. Continuing a path of disruption TBWA calls itself the Disruption Company, and its work for Nissan, Apple, Hilton, and WWF has cemented its role as an innovator in the ad world. Riley embraces the term and has implemented several practice areas to facilitate better creative at the L.A. office, including the design division, a B2B division specializing in complex businesses, and a multicultural practice. “Disruption is both the founding methodology but also an ethos that you'll see us continuing to apply to the different problems that our clients have—it’s flexible in that way. One of the applications of disruption is Disruption Days, where we can tackle almost any problem,” said Riley. Disruption Days allow TBWA to dip into its collective and bring together the brightest minds and tackle problems together, and Riley said that practice will continue under her leadership. Collaboration through the OAG Riley is looking forward to working with the OAG because the centralized group will pool its investments in critical tools, technologies, and capabilities, which will allow her to then invest TBWA dollars in different areas to help drive what the agency group can distinctly offer. “I'm also really looking forward to having an even closer relationship with our sister ad agencies and ad networks. We all know each other and get along quite well. The way Troy manages, I think he will bring that group together, and we will be able to problem-solve together, inspire each other, and share best practices,” said Riley. Because Ruhanen is leaving TBWA in a position of strength, Riley’s transition to global CEO should be smooth. She inherits an agency that is in a good place, which will allow her to focus on accelerating growth. “I am personally looking forward to spending more time in the global markets. That will be a tremendous learning opportunity for me, to go deep in in some of the most amazing ad markets in the world,” said Riley. She commends Ruhanen’s leadership and making a concerted effort to support female leadership over the last decade that is now evident with the elevation of her and other women leaders across the network. “It is a signal to everyone that what we do right now does matter. The decisions and the people that we put in place and the voices that we give rise to matters, because in 10 years, they will run our companies,” said Riley.

Leadership & Talent

TBWA's Newly Named Global CEO Erin Riley Talks Disruption and Leadership

The Omnicom Advertising Group formation has created new opportunities

Kyle O’Brien

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Kyle O’Brien