WPP has today announced the appointment of Cindy Rose as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company, effective 1 September 2025.
Rose succeeds Mark Read who will step down as CEO on the same date. Read announced his departure as CEO in June and announced that he would finish up in his role on 31 December. He will work with Rose to aid in a transition process through to the end of the year.
She will work out of both London and New York.
A joint British and American citizen, Rose has spent the lat nine years working in London in senior positions at Microsoft. In her current role as Chief Operating Officer, Global Enterprise, she works with the world’s largest companies in their use of digital technology and AI to drive business transformation. Previous roles at Microsoft included serving as President of Microsoft Western Europe and CEO of Microsoft UK.
Rose has experience working at world-leading brands across technology, telecommunications, media, entertainment, and creative industries gained at world-leading brands. Other previous roles include Managing Director of the UK consumer business at Vodafone and Executive Director of Digital Entertainment and Media Sales at Virgin Media. She also spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Company which culminated in her role as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Disney Interactive
Media Group, EMEA.
She is not a stranger to WPP, having served as a Non-Executive Director on the WPP Board since 2019. It is not her only board appointment – she is an Advisory Board Member at Imperial College Business School in London and McLaren Racing.
In 2019, she was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year Honours in recognition of her services to UK technology.
Philip Jansen, Chair of WPP, said: “Cindy is an outstanding and inspirational business leader with extensive experience at some of the world’s most recognised companies and a track record of growing large-scale businesses. She has led multi-billion-dollar operations across the UK, EMEA and globally, built enduring client relationships and delivered growth in both enterprise and consumer environments.
“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. Her expertise in this landscape will be hugely valuable to WPP as the industry navigates fundamental changes and macroeconomic uncertainty. Cindy’s appointment follows a thorough selection process that considered both internal and external candidates. As an existing Board member she understands our business and the needs of our clients, and we look forward to working with her in her new role as CEO.
“As he hands over to Cindy, I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to Mark for his tireless commitment during more than 30 years with WPP and in particular the progress he has made to modernise, simplify and transform the company over the last seven years as CEO. On behalf of the Board and the company as a whole I wish him all the very best for the future.”
Cindy Rose said: “WPP is a company I know and love – not only from my six years on the Board but as a client and partner for many years before that – and I couldn’t be happier or more excited to be appointed as CEO. I began my career in the creative industries and this feels like coming
home.
“There are so many opportunities ahead for WPP. We have and continue to build market- leading AI capabilities, alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list. WPP has the most brilliant, talented, creative people and I can’t wait to write the company’s next chapter together.
“I am grateful to Mark for his many contributions to the business over the years and I look forward to working together to ensure a smooth handover.”
Mark Read said: “Having worked closely with Cindy for the last six years, I am delighted to see her appointed as CEO of WPP. From her time on the Board, she has real insight into our business and knows many of our clients, people and partners around the world.
“She brings deep experience of technology and AI and its transformational impact on business, and has successfully run large global organisations with talent at their core. After seven years as CEO, I know that I am leaving WPP in excellent hands.”