Cavallo announces retirement

MullenLowe Global CEO Kristen Cavallo, formerly also CEO of Richmond-based marketing and advertising firm The Martin Agency, is retiring from her role to pursue political and social activism, MullenLowe and Martin parent Interpublic Group of Cos. (IPG) announced Monday.

Cavallo became CEO of MullenLowe Global in November 2022 and continued to lead Martin until January, when Danny Robinson was named CEO of the Richmond firm. Cavallo, who became Martin’s first female CEO in December 2017, remained in Richmond.

“One of my favorite things about advertising is how it satisfies your curiosity — I’ve worked across multiple industries and with brands of all sizes,” Cavallo said in a statement. “I’ve also learned how to stand firm in times of uncertainty and to look for what’s possible in the heart of a problem. I can’t think of a better launch pad for the rest of my life.”

Cavallo supports the Democratic Party, she told AdAge, adding that she supports “anyone that’s not trying to take away my rights or my daughter’s rights.”

Cavallo was the 2023 Virginia Business Person of the Year in recognition of her business strategy and successes at the helm of Martin, and then MullenLowe Global, as an international leader in advertising and marketing.

“Unless you’ve been living under an advertising rock,” Robinson said in a statement Monday, “you have a pretty good idea of the transformative acts that have helped define Kristen’s time as CEO at Martin. With her dedication to defending our value as an industry, she’s a great example of leadership. And Kristen wields her influence with a combination of passion and grace. She helped shape the trajectory of my career, and reinforced for all of us at Martin what it feels like to be fearless. Like so many of us, I’ve always been proud to call her my partner and my friend.”

As MullenLowe CEO, Cavallo is responsible for 4,500 employees, with offices in 55 markets worldwide. Alex Leikikh, chairman of MullenLowe Group and executive vice president of IPG, will return to the role of MullenLowe global CEO on March 31, when Cavallo’s retirement becomes effective. Cavallo will remain in an advisory capacity for MullenLowe and Martin until 2025.

Leikikh was part of the management team that hired Cavallo at Mullen in 2011, and one of her conditions for becoming Martin’s CEO was that she report directly to him. In November 2023, Leikikh told Virginia Business that Cavallo had a strong moral compass and was self-assured: “The thing I love about Kristen probably the most is … she asks neither for forgiveness nor permission. She just does what she thinks is right, and so far, she’s been pretty successful at it.”

In a statement Monday, Leikikh said, “I’ve worked with Kristen for over a dozen years, which has been a highlight of my career. She’s a brilliant strategist, insightful client whisperer, creative champion and people nurturer. Kristen is also an intrepid global explorer who ties her personal experiences and worldview to our work. We will miss that, but no doubt Kristen will have a notable impact on the world beyond advertising, and we’ll all stay tuned in to see what she can accomplish.”

Cavallo told AdAge she isn’t looking to run for any political office at the moment, but is hoping to volunteer on campaigns over the next two years. She said she also could see herself working with organizations that align with her ideals, like Planned Parenthood or the American Civil Liberties Union, but added she would need to do more research to find the right organization.

Cavallo first entered the advertising industry in 1994, when she joined Mullen as a strategic planner. A year later, she jumped to Boston-based ad agency Arnold Worldwide, where she served as a senior strategic planner. In 1998, she joined Martin as a senior vice president and group planning director, moving up to director of business development in 2005, before returning to Mullen in 2011 as chief strategy officer. In 2014, she was named president of Mullen’s Boston office. Following IPG’s 2015 merger of Lowe and Partners with Mullen, Cavallo became MullenLowe Group’s U.S. chief strategy and growth officer.

In December 2017, IPG named Cavallo as Martin’s first female CEO, replacing then-CEO Matt Williams. She took the helm at Martin in the wake of highly publicized sexual harassment allegations against Martin’s former chief creative officer, Joe Alexander, who left the ad agency less than two weeks before Cavallo was named CEO. Alexander has denied the allegations and any wrongdoing, and he filed a $50.4 million-plus lawsuit against Martin, alleging defamation, breach of contract and other claims, although only breach of contract had not been dismissed by 2024. In February, a Richmond Circuit judge nonsuited the case at Alexander’s request. His new attorney told Richmond BizSense he planned to refile at a later date.

“As I think about where I’ll direct my energies next,” Cavallo said in a statement, “I’ve been wondering if many of our nation’s problems are ultimately marketing and communications problems: how we connect with one another, how we unify, how we fulfill our promises. These questions have been really taking over my headspace. I want to apply what I’ve learned to the kinds of issues I care most about at this stage in my life.”