Incoming WPP CEO Cindy Rose has a big job ahead when she steps into the role in September.
As the Microsoft exec takes the reins from Mark Read, who’s departing after seven years at the helm, she inherits a business in decline that’s struggling to keep pace with an industry in flux.
In addition to addressing WPP’s structural and financial problems—it issued a shock profit warning and downgraded its 2025 growth forecast last week—Rose must stave off continued client losses and turn around morale at its agencies.
Industry leaders agree that Rose has the AI and technology expertise needed to bring WPP into the future. But what’s most crucial is that she develops a clear vision for a business that’s lacked one for some time.
“Hopefully the WPP board are clear about what its new strategy is, as the current one has not delivered,” said Ajaz Ahmed, founder of Studio.One and former CEO of WPP agency AKQA.
1. Reviving WPP’s stock
As the leader of a public company, Rose will have to contend with shareholders impatient for WPP’s stock to bounce back from historic lows. This will be difficult in a sector that is “facing real pressure,” said Ahmed.
“Interest rates are still high. Budgets are tight. Platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Google offer increasingly sophisticated ad tools that bypass agencies,” he said. “Consulting firms and independent agencies are winning share with a more attractive value proposition.”
In that pressure cooker, Rose’s strategic decisions will, in large part, be dictated by the board’s end game: Does it want to create a real strategy for WPP’s future, or would it be better off selling the company for parts?
“There’s the financial engineering side—what will produce the most value for shareholders independent of the right strategy?” said Brian Wieser, principal at Madison and Wall. “Because the stock is so, so very low, it could very well be that the board would rather see some immediate benefits.”
