WPP appoints former Burberry chief
Media giant WPP has appointed the former chief executive of Burberry and ex-head of retail at Apple to its board.
Angela Ahrendts will become a non-executive board member at WPP after ending a five-year run as one of the most senior figures at Apple.
Ahrendts led British fashion brand Burberry from 2006 to 2013, during which she grew the company’s value from £2bn to more than £7bn. The US-born businesswoman won plaudits for refreshing the British fashion stalwart for a younger audience, and was awarded a DBE for her services to British business in 2013.
After her move to Apple in 2013, she was named the highest-paid executive in 2017, earning $24.2m (£19m) — almost double what chief executive Tim Cook made that year.
“Angela’s reputation as a leader of creative and technology-driven businesses is second to none,” said Roberto Quarta, WPP chairman. “She also has deep insight into our clients’ needs in a changing world. We are delighted that she will be joining the WPP board.”
Shares rose almost three per cent to 655p on the news.
It marks a significant hire for WPP, who are currently undergoing a wide-scale restructure. WPP has been hard hit by the drought in advertising demand during the pandemic, with its share price buckling almost half as the lockdown came into effect.
Other board appointments include Cindy Rose, chief executive at Microsoft UK and Keith Weed, a former marketing executive at Unilever.
Mark Read, who took over from Martin Sorrell after his departure from the helm in 2018, yesterday told shareholders that clients were now “in the recovery phase” and had started “to think through the other side of the Covid situation”.