WPP picks Microsoft exec Cindy Rose as CEO amid sliding sales
WPP has named Microsoft executive Cindy Rose as its new chief executive, as the advertising giant battles declining revenues, key account losses, and a falling share price.
Rose will step into the top job on 1 September 2025, replacing Mark Read, who is stepping down after seven years at the helm and more than three decades at the company. The outgoing CEO will support the transition until the end of the year.
The announcement comes just 24 hours after WPP issued a stark trading update revealing a sharper-than-expected revenue slump and hundreds of job cuts across its media arm.
The FTSE 100 firm expects second-quarter organic revenue to decline between 5.5 and 6 per cent, far worse than its earlier estimate of a two per cent dip, while full-year forecasts have been downgraded to a 3–5 per cent drop.
Shares plunged 13 per cent on Wednesday morning, wiping hundreds of millions off WPP’s market value and taking it below the £5bn mark.
Rose, currently Chief Operating Officer for Global Enterprise at Microsoft, has sat on WPP’s board as a non-executive director since 2019.
Her appointment marks a strategic pivot as the firm looks to reposition itself in a world where technology, AI, and data are increasingly shaping marketing spend.
“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,” said Rose.
“We continue to build market-leading AI capabilities alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list”.
Her career spans major leadership roles at Vodafone, Virgin Media and Disney, but it is her recent work at Microsoft, helping large enterprises harness digital and AI tools for business transformation, that WPP is likely banking on to revive growth.
Read’s departure has long been rumoured, particularly as pressure mounted over WPP’s declining market cap and missed forecasts.
“After seven years as CEO, I know that I am leaving WPP in excellent hands,” he said. “Cindy brings deep experience of technology and AI and has successfully run large global organisations with talent at their core.”
Rough hand for the incoming WPP chief
Rose inherits a business facing structural upheaval.
WPP’s media investment unit, including EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker, has already begun sweeping layoffs, dubbed “severance action,” as part of a cost-cutting drive expected to save £150m.
But analysts remain sceptical, warning the savings will have only a “broadly neutral impact” on this year’s results.
WPP has also suffered major account losses in 2024, including Mars and Coca-Cola’s US media business, both of which have yet to fully hit the bottom line.
Analysts say the group is struggling to maintain relevance in an industry shifting toward data-led, tech-heavy solutions – a space where rivals like Accenture Song and Publicis Groupe have made aggressive moves.
Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, commented: “WPP’s start to the year was poor, and its first-half performance fell short of its original underwhelming guidance. Net revenue is now set to fall by between 3 and 5 per cent over the full year due to client losses and a tough macro environment”.
The timing of Rose’s appointment, just weeks after WPP celebrated winning “Creative Company of the Year” at Cannes Lions, underlines a growing disconnect between industry accolades and financial reality.