Baiju Shah takes helm at AKQA amid founder’s departure and WPP executive reshuffle

AKQA, the design and innovation agency under WPP, has appointed Baiju Shah, formerly of Accenture Song, as its new global chief executive officer. Shah replaces Ajaz Ahmed, AKQA’s founder, who stepped down in October 2024 after leading the agency for 30 years. Ahmed’s departure marked the end of an era during which AKQA grew to become one of the world’s most recognised and awarded agencies.

Shah’s appointment was officially announced in July 2025. He leaves Accenture Song, the creative division of Accenture which he co-founded in 2022, where he served most recently as global chief strategy officer. His deep experience spans strategy, creativity, technology, and artificial intelligence, aligning with WPP’s ambition to harness rapid cultural shifts and emerging technologies for its clients. Speaking about his new role, Shah expressed excitement about guiding AKQA into its next phase, balancing respect for its legacy with innovative agency models and responsible AI use.

During the interim period between Ahmed’s resignation and Shah’s arrival, Stephan Pretorius, WPP’s chief technology officer, acted as interim chair of AKQA. Under Ahmed’s leadership, AKQA earned an impressive 83 Agency of the Year awards along with 11 Most Loved Workplace distinctions, solidifying its reputation in the creative and digital industries. Ahmed continues to maintain an active presence in philanthropy, sitting on boards including the Elton John AIDS Foundation and Virgin Unite.

The leadership transition comes against the backdrop of evolving dynamics between WPP and Accenture, the respective parent companies of AKQA and Accenture Song, which have explored potential mergers or partnerships. This adds an additional layer of strategic significance to Shah’s appointment, as WPP seeks to leverage his expertise at the intersection of creativity, data, and technology.

Shortly after departing AKQA, Ajaz Ahmed launched Studio.One in April 2025, a new venture aiming to disrupt traditional agency models through agility and client-centric innovation. Some former AKQA executives joined Ahmed in this new endeavour, signalling a shift in the digital agency landscape.

Concurrently, WPP itself has seen changes at the highest executive levels, with Cindy Rose of Microsoft named as the new CEO of WPP, succeeding Mark Read, who thanked Pretorius for his interim role at AKQA and praised Shah’s industry leadership.

In this period of considerable transition, AKQA under Baiju Shah appears poised to blend its celebrated creative heritage with a forward-looking embrace of AI and emerging technologies, aiming to remain a pioneer in the highly competitive agency environment.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with the earliest known publication date being July 15, 2025. No earlier versions with differing figures, dates, or quotes were found. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies or recycled content were identified. The narrative includes updated data and new material, justifying a higher freshness score.

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
The direct quotes from Baiju Shah and Mark Read are unique to this report, with no identical matches found in earlier material. This suggests potentially original or exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative originates from PR Week, a reputable publication in the industry, enhancing its reliability.

Plausability check

Score:
10

Notes:
The claims about Baiju Shah’s appointment and the leadership transition at AKQA are consistent with other reputable sources, including WPP’s official announcement. The language and tone are appropriate for the region and topic, and the report lacks excessive or off-topic detail. No inconsistencies or suspicious elements were identified.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The narrative is fresh, original, and sourced from a reputable publication. All claims are plausible and consistent with other reputable sources. No signs of disinformation or recycled content were found.