Landor appoints chief executive officer

Jacobs succeeds Mary Zalla, who has stepped down. Zalla will lead Landor’s newly created global consumer branding practice, in addition to her role as managing director for the Chicago and Cincinnati offices.

Officially joining the company on November, Jacobs will be in a co-CEO role with Zalla through the end of the year. She will split her time between the U.K. and U.S.

Jacobs commented, ‘Landor is one of the benchmark consultancies and I’m both delighted and honored to be appointed CEO. I look forward to working with the firm’s leadership across the network to find new and interesting ways to expand our service offer and add value to our clients’ business.’

Previosuly, Jacobs has led WPP-sister company FITCH, a global retail and branding consultancy, since 2009.  She worked on a variety of assignments for brands and retailers. Clients included Dell, Target, Nokia, and Marks & Spencer. She is also said to have transformed the business into a powerful global and integrated network and opened new offices in Beijing, Delhi, and Moscow.

During her tenure as CEO, Zalla focused on elevating Landor’s creative output,

refreshing the strategic offer, growing a more sustainable client base, and securing the best talent. The firm has done well as a result, winning major new clients and experiencing sustained growth in markets that include Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. Landor also won a Gold Lion at the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for Nine Suns, work created by the San Francisco office.

‘It has been my distinct and sincere pleasure to serve as Landor’s CEO,’ said Mary Zalla. ‘I’ve learned a lot and partnered with some amazing colleagues. I look forward to working with Lois during the transition period, and immersing myself in my new role to develop a compelling offer for our consumer branding practice – one that effects real change for Landor and our clients.’

Craig Branigan, chairman and CEO of WPP’s B to D Group, said, ‘I welcome Lois to the helm of Landor. Lois has demonstrated very strong leadership skills during her tenure at FITCH and I am excited about the prospect of her putting those skills to work as CEO of Landor. In addition, I would like to thank Mary for all her hard work and leadership. Her request to shift roles is based upon personal considerations. She is a true powerhouse at running and expanding the consumer packaged goods business, and we thought she could benefit clients most by focusing in that area.’