Joining as public affairs manager in 1998, Loerke progressed to deputy managing director in 2002 before taking the reins as chief executive the following year.

In 2016, Loerke helped establish the International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS), which fosters best practice between self-regulatory organisations globally. He has been an ICAS vice-president since its inception.

The WFA has grown under his leadership to cover more than 150 global brands, with national associations in 60 countries and regional offices in London, Singapore and New York.

Loerke will depart in mid-2027, and a five-person panel has been appointed to lead recruitment for his replacement as chief executive.

The panel members are WFA president David Wheldon; Phil Myers, vice-president and chief corporate affairs officer at Ferrero; Jean Luc Chétrit, treasurer and director general of the French Advertisers Association; Jane Wakely, chief consumer and marketing officer and chief growth officer, international foods at PepsiCo; and chief marketing officer at Diageo, Cristina Diezhandino.

Wheldon said: “Very few people in their careers get to have such an impact on a single organisation and industry. Stephan has transformed WFA into an organisation that punches well above its weight.

“He has built a phenomenal team and empowered them to produce outstanding work. As a multilinguist and multiculturalist he knows how to get the best out of people and leads with humility and clarity. He will move on in July 2027 leaving the WFA in much better shape than he found it, a great legacy.”

Loerke added: “It has been a privilege, and the honour of a lifetime, to lead the WFA for so long. I’m immensely proud of the organisation we’ve grown and the team we’ve built, and deeply grateful to all WFA colleagues and members, past and present, who have helped make it what it is today.

“But the time to say goodbye hasn’t come yet. I’ll keep giving my all until my very last day at the organisation.”