Stephan Loerke will step down as CEO of the World Federation of Advertisers on June 30, 2027, ending a run of more than 20 years at the head of one of the global marketing industry's largest trade groups.

The WFA confirmed the departure date this month. His exit closes one of the longest tenures among heads of major advertiser associations anywhere in the world.

In a separate U.S. move, Red Lobster has named Andy Pitts as chief marketing officer. The change removes the "interim" label Pitts had carried since January and gives the seafood chain its first permanent CMO in months.

How the Loerke announcement reads

The WFA did not name a successor or announce a search timeline alongside the departure date. The trade body said only that Loerke will leave on June 30, 2027, giving roughly 30 months to manage the transition.

The WFA's roster includes national advertiser associations and direct corporate members spanning multiple continents. Its public positions on agency contracts, media transparency and cross-border measurement have shaped how marketers and agencies negotiate globally for years.

Loerke has offered no public comment on his next professional role.

How the Red Lobster move reads

Pitts took the CMO seat on an interim basis in January. Red Lobster has now confirmed the role as permanent and broadened his scope.

According to Red Lobster, Pitts will oversee marketing and brand strategy. His remit covers:

• Building stronger customer relationships with diners
• Improving how the chain connects with guests in its restaurants
• Sharpening online engagement

The announcement did not include any changes to Red Lobster's agency roster, marketing budget or executive team.

The bigger October picture

The two items appear in Adweek's monthly marketer-moves tracker for October. The roundup runs under the headline "5 Marketer Moves In October So Far: Red Lobster, Rocket Companies, and More." Three additional U.S. and global leadership changes — including a move at Rocket Companies referenced in the headline — are not detailed in the publicly available excerpt, which sits behind a subscription wall.

What to watch next

Marketer turnover at trade bodies and at consumer-facing chains typically ripples through agency relationships and year-end planning cycles. A formal WFA succession announcement and any update to Red Lobster's agency lineup are the next watch items for procurement and brand teams.

For Red Lobster, Pitts's permanence gives agency partners a stable counterpart on brand strategy heading into the final months of the year, when seafood chains typically push their highest-volume seasonal campaigns. The interim tag's removal also removes a procurement signal that often unsettles agencies during mid-contract reviews.