WPP announced the appointment of Simon Dingemans to its board as a non-executive director, effective immediately.
He is a senior advisor at global investment firm The Carlyle Group, with a focus on the healthcare sector as well as investment opportunities in the UK.
Prior to joining Carlyle, Dingemans was chief financial officer of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and a member of the main board from 2011 to 2019.
There, he drove extensive restructuring and change programmes that delivered significant financial and operational efficiencies. He also led a number of significant strategic transactions.
As CFO, he was responsible for leading Finance and a variety of other functions including Procurement, Real Estate and Technology, including Cyber Security.
Prior to GSK, he worked in investment banking for 25 years at SG Warburg and then Goldman Sachs, where he was managing director and partner for 10 years as a leader of their European M&A business and head of UK investment banking.
Dingemans served as non-executive chair of the Financial Reporting Council in 2019/20. He previously also served as Chairman of the 100 Group which represents the views of Finance Directors in the FTSE 100 and a number of large UK private companies.
Chairman of WPP Roberto Quarta said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to WPP. His insight from a varied and distinguished career, combining both operational and financial experience, will be invaluable to the Board as WPP continues its transformation and strategic progress.”
Dingemans said of appointment: “WPP is the global leader in its sector with a clear strategy for continued success and value-creation. I am very much looking forward to being part of the transformation journey and supporting the future growth of the company.”
Dingemans will serve as a member of the Audit Committee upon joining the Board.