WPP Scangroup appoints Akua Brayie Owusu-Nartey as New Group CEO

WPP Scangroup PLC, East Africa’s largest marketing and communications powerhouse, has appointed Akua Brayie Owusu-Nartey as its new Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective November 17, 2025.

The announcement, approved by the Capital Markets Authority, marks a homecoming of sorts for the Ghanaian-born executive, who brings over 18 years of pan-African experience to the Nairobi-listed firm, succeeding Patricia Ithau, who departed in July, and interim COO Miriam Kaggwa, whose steady hand guided operations during the transitional period.

Owusu-Nartey, hailed by the board as a “strategic leader and turnaround expert,” steps into the role with a proven track record of driving brand transformation and business growth across Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Her career trajectory reads like a blueprint for regional dominance: from senior leadership at Ogilvy Ghana and Publicis West Africa to Acting Managing Director at Scanad Kenya and Chief Client Officer at Ogilvy Africa, where she spearheaded integrated communications campaigns that blended cultural relevance with digital innovation.

A holder of a BBA from Central University College in Ghana and an Executive MBA from Hult International Business School in the UK, Owusu-Nartey has long emphasized client engagement and operational excellence, qualities that insiders say will be crucial as Scangroup seeks to reclaim its footing in a hyper-competitive landscape.

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The appointment arrives at a crossroads for WPP Scangroup, which has endured one of its most harrowing chapters in recent memory, battered by relentless profit warnings, a plummeting share price, and the gut-wrenching exodus of marquee clients like Airtel Africa after a 15-year partnership—a blow exacerbated by internal restructuring that saw the abrupt shelving of promising digital ventures, including the e-commerce platform Goby and the automated marketing tool Optimus, which alone had generated nearly KSh 300 million in annual revenue before the pivot.

Lingering governance shadows from the 2021 ouster of former CEO Bharat Thakrar and his ensuing lawsuit against parent WPP, coupled with shrinking advertising budgets, a brain drain of creative talent to rival agencies, and fierce competition from global behemoths and nimble local startups, have eroded the company’s once-unassailable dominance in Kenya’s communications arena. Compounding the woes, Scangroup posted a half-year net loss of KSh 208 million for the period ended June 30, 2025—a slight narrowing from the KSh 252 million deficit a year prior—but one that underscores the urgency for revival under Owusu-Nartey’s stewardship.

Industry observers view Owusu-Nartey’s ascension as a beacon of hope, reflecting a broader surge of African women breaking barriers in multinational leadership, and a strategic bet on her deep-rooted expertise to reignite growth amid AI-driven disruptions and evolving consumer behaviors.