WPP Media is bolstering its leadership bench in Sydney, appointing Nancy Lan to oversee a heavyweight client portfolio at Mindshare, including Unilever, DAZN (Foxtel), IKEA, uBank and Blackmores.
Lan joins the agency as Client Managing Director, bringing more than two decades of global leadership experience spanning Australia, Asia and Europe.
In the role, she will lead Mindshare’s Sydney client teams and work across the agency’s largest accounts, with a focus on delivering connected media solutions designed to drive commercial growth.
The appointment signals a continued push by WPP Media to deepen senior client leadership across its agency brands amid intensifying competition for major advertisers.
From airline partnerships to agency leadership
Lan arrives from Virgin Australia, where she most recently served as Head of Retail, Partnerships & Revenue Growth.
During her tenure, she led the launch of the airline’s long-haul partnership with Qatar Airways, strengthened Virgin’s relationship with the AFL, and helped build the airline’s retail media strategy to unlock new enterprise-wide revenue streams.
Before joining Virgin, Lan spent several years within Publicis Groupe, including as National Managing Director of Starcom Australia, where she oversaw a team of 130 and secured major new business, including TPG Telecom, Tourism Tasmania, Pfizer and Miele.
Her experience also includes senior leadership roles in Shanghai and London, giving her, the agency says, a rare end-to-end view across brands, media owners and agencies.
Building capability across Mindshare’s client portfolio
Mindshare Australia CEO Maria Grivas said Lan’s appointment comes at a critical moment as the agency continues to scale its commercial and strategic capabilities.
“Nancy is an exceptional leader whose commercial sharpness, client empathy and transformational mindset make her a perfect fit for our team,” Grivas said.
“She brings global perspective, deep cross-category experience and a proven ability to unlock good growth for complex brands. What stands out most is her ability to build high-performing teams and foster cultures where people and clients thrive. We’re thrilled to welcome her to WPP Media and Mindshare and are excited about the impact she will have across our Sydney client portfolio.”
In her new role, Lan will lead client teams working across several of Mindshare’s largest accounts while helping shape culture and performance across the Sydney office.
Reflecting on the move, Lan said she sees the agency as well placed to support brands navigating increasingly complex media and marketing environments.
“I’m energised to join Mindshare at a pivotal moment in its growth journey. The agency’s ambition – fusing innovation, human understanding and commercial discipline – creates a powerful platform for clients navigating increasingly complex markets,” Lan said.
“I’m excited to partner with our clients to unlock sustainable growth, turning strategy into measurable business impact and long-term competitive advantage.”
The appointment comes as WPP positions its media collective for what it describes as the “AI era”, bringing together platform technology, talent and partnerships to drive growth for brands globally.