Annette King, chief executive of Ogilvy UK, has left the company after 18 years, jumping ship to become CEO of Publicis UK. When she joins Publicis UK in late 2018 following 12 months leave, she will manage all UK operations across the companys four hubs: Public Communications, Media, Health and Publicis.Sapient.

In a letter to staff, Arthur Sadoun, chief executive of Publicis Groupe, described King as “one of the most recognised leaders in the industry”, praising her “managerial skills, the loyalty and passion she inspires in her teams, the trust she has gained with her clients”.

At Ogilvy UK, the groups chairman and chief for EMEA Paul ODonnell will become interim CEO while the search for a permanent replacement is carried out. Kings departure was apparently a shock to those at Ogilvy, which has prospered under her leadership, winning accounts like Boots, Vodafone and British Airways. In fact, King had just returned from a three-month sabbatical taken following a series of high-profile wins for the agency.

“Over the past 18 years Annette has made a significant contribution to Ogilvy in many capacities,” said ODonnell. “She leaves Ogilvy UK in great shape, with an outstanding leadership team in place across the breadth of the agency, so we wish her all the best.”