WPP Media has appointed Andrea Suarez as Chief Executive Officer for its Latin America operations, reinforcing its leadership structure as the company intensifies its focus on regional growth, client delivery and operational performance across the continent.
The appointment places Suarez in charge of overseeing WPP Media’s business strategy across key Latin American markets, at a time when global media networks are recalibrating leadership to respond to changing client expectations and competitive pressures.
Suarez brings extensive global and regional experience to the role, having spent over 16 years at IPG Mediabrands, where she held multiple senior leadership positions. Her career progression culminated in her appointment as Global CEO of UM, a role in which she was responsible for shaping worldwide strategy, strengthening multinational client relationships and navigating complex media transformation challenges.
Brandspur Brand News understands that Suarez also previously led Mediabrands Latin America, giving her first-hand insight into the region’s media ecosystem, market diversity and talent development needs, experience that positions her strongly to steer WPP Media’s Latin American ambitions.
Earlier in her career, Suarez headed Thrive, a customised agency unit created to manage Nestlé’s global media business. In that capacity, she worked closely with one of the world’s largest advertisers, aligning media execution with commercial performance and long-term brand objectives across multiple markets.
Suarez succeeds Cesar Recalde, who exits the role after 15 years with the business, including 12 years overseeing WPP Media’s Latin America operations. During his tenure, Recalde played a central role in expanding the network’s regional footprint, strengthening client partnerships and building a stable operational foundation.
The leadership change comes amid a broader executive refresh at WPP Media. In recent months, the company has appointed Angela Steele as US Chief Client Officer and Stephanie Prager as Global Client President, both of whom joined from Publicis, signalling a strategic effort to deepen leadership capability across major markets.
Industry analysts view Suarez’s appointment as a move designed to blend global strategic experience with regional market expertise, positioning WPP Media to accelerate growth, sharpen execution and deepen client trust across Latin America.
As WPP Media adapts to an evolving media and marketing environment, Suarez is expected to play a key role in driving innovation, strengthening client engagement and delivering sustained performance across one of the group’s most strategically important regions.
