Accenture Song, the $19 billion marketing arm of consulting giant Accenture, is preparing for a big leadership handoff as creative ad legend David Droga prepares to step down as CEO.
At the end of the fiscal year, Droga, who has led Song since 2021, will move into the role of vice chair at Accenture, the agency announced on Wednesday.
Taking his place is Ndidi Oteh, a 14-year Accenture veteran who currently leads Song’s business in the Americas. She will take the reins as CEO on Sept. 1 and join Accenture’s Global Management Committee.
Born in St. Louis and based in Los Angeles, Oteh has built a reputation for helping Fortune 500 brands integrate AI, data, and design to drive consumer engagement and growth. Since joining Accenture in 2011, she has held leadership roles across strategy, technology, and brand experience.
ADWEEK spoke with her in March before her appointment about how AI is reshaping creative work and what clients really want from their tech investments.
“Most of our clients aren’t asking for flashy one-offs,” Oteh said. “They’re asking how to get more value from the platforms they’ve already invested in—whether that’s Adobe, Salesforce, or their broader cloud ecosystem.”
She added that more than 30% of Song’s client engagements incorporate AI—a number she expects to grow.
“AI is no longer a side experiment. It’s a core capability,” she said. “Clients want growth, not just cost-cutting. And they’re expecting technology to help them get there.”
Under Oteh’s leadership, Song has deepened its partnerships with OpenAI and Nvidia to deliver marketing experiences for clients and transform its own operations. A recent collaboration with Mondelēz, for instance, used generative AI to scale local content creation—improving speed and personalization while preserving brand consistency.
“What we’re doing isn’t just advertising,” Oteh said. “It’s about how brands build long-term relevance—and how marketers get to focus on the work that actually moves the needle.”
Filling Droga’s shoes
Droga’s legacy at Accenture Song is one of creative and commercial reinvention.
He sold his namesake agency Droga5, which he founded in 2006, to Accenture for $475 million in 2019—a blockbuster deal in the creative agency space.
He then unified more than 40 acquisitions under what was then called Accenture Interactive, introducing a connected offering across strategy, data, AI, and creativity. He rebranded the group to Accenture Song in 2022.
