WASHINGTON — Ogilvy has tapped Rachel Caggiano, a 20-year vet of parent group WPP, to lead the firm’s Washington office.

As managing director, Caggiano will be responsible for driving all aspects of Ogilvy's business across six core capabilities —  public relations & influence, brand strategy, advertising, customer engagement & commerce, digital transformation and partnerships — for its DC clients. Caggiano replaces Kathy Baird, who left Ogilvy in June for a communications job with Nike.

Caggiano will join Ogilvy’s US executive leadership team. Group managing director Tony Silva will continue to lead Ogilvy’s US government practice, which includes offices in Washington and Sacramento. 

The move marks a return to Ogilvy for Caggiano, who spent a decade as the firm’s North American head of content. Most recently she was an account managing director at VMLY&R. In that role, she served as the WPP team leader for GoBoldly, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s national, multi-year advertising and public affairs initiative on behalf of the country’s biopharmaceutical companies.

“Rachel is next chapter Ogilvy through and through, with deep craft and capability experience across client sectors and markets globally,” said John Seifert, Ogilvy’s worldwide chief executive. “I know from experience that Rachel is valued by her clients for her creativity and clear-sightedness. She’s also deeply respected by everyone she works with for her collaborative spirit and calm under fire. We are incredibly pleased to welcome Rachel back home to Ogilvy.”