About me
Robert LePlae joined Arnold Worldwide in 2012 as President, and was recently appointed CEO. He is among the most accomplished agency leaders of the last decade behind a track record of sustained profitable growth, industry leading creative output, marketing strategy, global client leadership and integrated operating models.
From 2009 through 2011, Robert led McCann Erickson as North American President. He was responsible for halting client churn, generating organic growth, winning new clients, upgrading talent, and strong margin improvement across the U.S. and Canada. In 2010, Robert’s remit grew to include McCann Worldgroup’s independent holdings (10 companies), led the global “Culture of Innovation” team, and developed a cross company multicultural strategy.
In the preceding 11 years, Robert was a cornerstone in the emergence of TBWA\Worldwide as the top creative agency network in the world. He joined TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles in 1998 as Managing Director. Robert relocated to Tokyo in 1999 to support Carlos Ghosn’s Nissan Revival Plan, creating a unique joint-venture company with Japanese advertising giant, Hakuhodo. As founding CEO, Robert constructed a global organization, drove the marketing vision for the Nissan and Infiniti brands worldwide, and was at the heart of the carmaker’s historic resurgence.
Robert returned to Los Angeles in 2001 as CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day. He launched Disruption in the U.S., and re-shaped the operating model with a broader scope of cross-platform services under a single P&L. The agency re-emerged behind client work for Apple, Nissan, PlayStation and Mars as one of the most innovative and creative agencies in the world, culminating with Adweek naming TWBA\Chiat\Day 2004 “Agency of the Year” and TWBA\Worldwide, “Global Agency Network of the Year” by Ad Age.
In late 2005, Robert relocated to New York when appointed President of the TBWA North American group of companies. His remit included the TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and Los Angeles agencies, the Media Arts Lab, Digital\CRM agency TEQUILA, TBWA\WorldHealth, the Disruption Consultancy, Canada, and Mexico. In 2006 and 2008, TBWA was recognized as Adweek’s “Global Network of the Year,” largely due to the case studies, growth and creative results in North America. In 2007, the Gunn Report and Creativity ranked the TBWA\Chiat\Day’s New York office as the most creatively awarded agency in the world. Some of Robert’s client experience includes Anheuser-Busch, Apple, Arc, BlackRock, Chrysler, Disney, Energizer, Honda, Hewlett-Packard, Infiniti, Mars, Microsoft, Nestle, Nissan, Beiersdorf, PlayStation, Ralston Purina, Sara Lee, Sprint/Nextel, Xbox.