Cindy Rose Appointed CEO of WPP, Succeeding Mark Read After Seven Year Tenure

Cindy Rose, currently Global Enterprise COO at Microsoft, will take over as CEO of WPP from September 2025. She steps into the role after years of board level experience with the company and a strong track record in global leadership across top tech and media firms.

Global marketing giant WPP has officially announced the appointment of Cindy Rose as its new Chief Executive Officer. Set to take charge on September 1, 2025, she will succeed Mark Read, who has been at the helm since 2018. Read, a WPP veteran with over three decades at the company, will continue to assist in the leadership transition until the end of the year before stepping away from his long standing tenure.

Cindy Rose brings with her a deep well of experience from the tech and media landscape. She currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for Global Enterprise at Microsoft, a role that has given her immense insight into managing large scale, innovation driven organisations. Over the past nine years, she has held various senior positions within Microsoft, including President of Microsoft Western Europe and CEO of Microsoft UK. Her professional journey also spans major leadership stints at Vodafone, Virgin Media, and The Walt Disney Company, where she worked across digital, media, and technology verticals.

What makes this appointment even more significant is her existing familiarity with WPP. Rose has been a Non Executive Director on WPP’s board since 2019, giving her a front row view of the company's strategy, culture, and operational dynamics. This inside out perspective, combined with her cross industry expertise, sets her up to lead the company with both insight and bold direction.

In her new role, Rose will operate out of both London and New York, embracing the duality of WPP’s global footprint. Her appointment also reflects the company’s strategic alignment with technological innovation and creative leadership in an increasingly AI powered industry. Rose’s background makes her uniquely positioned to drive this vision forward.

Philip Jansen, Chair of WPP, spoke highly of her leadership potential, stating that she is an inspirational figure with extensive experience in steering global businesses through complex challenges. He emphasised that Rose’s grasp of emerging technology and her proven ability to scale organisations will be instrumental as WPP navigates the evolving marketing and communications landscape.

Cindy Rose herself expressed her excitement about the new chapter, calling WPP a company she has admired deeply through her board tenure as well as her time as a client and partner. She highlighted WPP’s ongoing commitment to AI development, creative excellence, and its rich client roster as the foundations on which she hopes to build the next era.

Mark Read also shared his confidence in the appointment. Having worked closely with Cindy for six years on the board, he endorsed her leadership and acknowledged her strong command over the changing dynamics of technology, talent, and global client ecosystems.

As the marketing and communications industry faces rapid disruption driven by data, AI, and evolving client expectations, Rose’s appointment is seen as a forward looking move. WPP is betting on her ability to harmonise creativity with technology, nurture talent at scale, and reimagine the agency model for the future.

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