Dive Brief:

• WPP has named Microsoft veteran Cindy Rose as its next CEO, effective Sept. 1, according to a press release. Current chief executive Mark Read will step down on that date and assist with the leadership transition through the end of the year. 
• Rose has spent nearly a decade at Microsoft, where she currently serves as chief operating officer of global enterprise sales, working with companies on adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technology focused on digital transformation. Previously, she held roles at Vodafone, Virgin Media and The Walt Disney Company.  
• Rose, who has British and American citizenship, has also been a non-executive director on WPP’s board since 2019. She joins WPP as the U.K.-based ad-holding group contends with steep revenue declines and client losses, as well as pressure to master areas like AI in marketing.

Dive Insight:

WPP, which owns agencies like Ogilvy and VML, has enacted a succession plan in a fast fashion following Read’s announcement last month that he would retire at the end of the year. Rose has a tall order to fill given the raft of headwinds battering the group, which earlier this week slashed its financial outlook, citing deteriorating macroeconomic conditions and failure to achieve the expected amount of net-new business in the first half. 

Much speculation has surrounded Read’s replacement, with a good deal of discussion centered on internal candidates, such as WPP Media head Brian Lesser, and industry icons like David Droga, who recently stepped down from his post at Accenture Song, the marketing services division of the Accenture consultancy. However, there was some inkling that WPP could draw from outside of the agency category altogether given its growing focus on AI and technology-driven transformation, areas where Rose fits the bill. 

Despite being an external hire, the executive has built-in knowledge of the business and its top brass with six years on WPP’s board under her belt. A dual citizen, she will work out of New York and London, where WPP is headquartered.

“Cindy has supported the digital transformation of large enterprises around the world – including embracing AI to create new customer experiences, business models and revenue streams,” said Philip Jansen, chair of WPP’s board, in a statement. “Her expertise in this landscape will be hugely valuable to WPP as the industry navigates fundamental changes and macroeconomic uncertainty.”

WPP is in the midst of onboarding its sprawling network of agencies to an AI-powered operating system called WPP Open as AI know-how becomes an increasingly important strategic advantage for agencies. The company is also trying to recover from a string of brutal client losses, including Mars’ recent shift of its $1.7 billion media account to rival Publicis Groupe. 

“We have and continue to build market-leading AI capabilities, alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list,” said Rose in a statement.

WPP has made some moves to modernize in 2025, such as acquiring the data-collaboration platform InfoSum, but its growth prospects continue to dim. In a surprise trading update issued earlier this week, the group said it now expects like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs, an important measure of health, to decline between 3% and 5% in 2025, below prior expectations that foresaw growth to be flat or down 2% for the full year. 

Read has acted as WPP’s chief for the past seven years and was the company’s first leader following the departure of founder Martin Sorrell, who held the reins for over three decades. WPP’s share price has plummeted under Read’s tenure and as the agency has navigated challenges such as the pandemic, inflation and the Trump administration’s chaotic trade war.