Wheldon steps into the role for the second time and replaces Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar.
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) has appointed Allwyn’s global chief brand officer David Wheldon as its new president.
He replaces Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer, Raja Rajamannar, who is stepping down after six years in the role.
It is somewhat of a homecoming for Wheldon, who previously served as WFA president from 2015 to 2019, and was awarded an OBE by King Charles III for services to advertising in 2021. He will be supported by Ferrero’s chief institutional affairs and corporate communications officer, Phil Myers, who was deputy president between 2019 and 2021.
Wheldon described himself as “thrilled” to be returning to the role, adding that the WFA has “ambitious” growth plans which are “grounded in ensuring members can continue to lead transformation in their businesses and across the industry”.
WFA CEO Stephan Loerke also spoke of his “delight” in the appointment of “two exceptional leaders” who know the organisation inside out.
“WFA is all about helping members achieve better marketing that drives sustainable growth for their companies,” he said. “Their unique profiles and experiences are ideally suited to help us deliver on that objective.”‘I am fiercely proud of the profession’: David Wheldon on marketing’s opportunity
Wheldon retired from his role as CMO of RBS Group (now NatWest Group) in January 2020 after a 35-year career that included stints at Coca-Cola, WPP, Vodafone and Barclays.
He joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 1983, rising from account executive to group account director by 1988. In 1989, Wheldon became a managing partner at WCRS, before being appointed managing director of creative agency Lowe Howard Spink the same year, aged just 32.
By 1993, he had made the move brand side as vice-president and global director of advertising at Coca-Cola, before becoming president of BBDO Europe in 1997. In 2004, Wheldon became global director of brand at Vodafone, a position he held for almost six years. After founding his own consultancy in 2010, Wheldon rejoined the corporate world in 2012 as head of brand, representation and citizenship at the Barclays Group.‘A completely deep strategy’: Mastercard’s Raja Rajamannar on valuing consistency
By 2015, he was CMO at RBS, a role which saw Wheldon lead the turnaround of the brand following its near collapse in 2008 and steer the bank back into profitability.
Other new members on the 2025 WFA executive committee include Nissan Motor Corporation’s corporate vice-president and global CMO Allyson Witherspoon;·Russell Dyer, chief corporate affairs officer, Kenvue; Olayinka Ijabiyi, group head, marketing & corporate communications, First Bank of Nigeria; Andrea Hunt, president and CEO, Association of Canadian Advertisers and Riikka-Maria Lemminki, managing director at Marketing Finland.
Wheldon will serve a minimum of two years in the role.
