When Cindy Rose replaced Mark Read as CEO of WPP in October last year, she inherited a business in decline. The advertising company had recently issued a fresh profit warning after a sharp decline in revenues and the loss of key clients, including Coca-Cola’s North American business and Mars’ snacking and pet care accounts. Two months later, WPP dropped out of the FTSE 100, ending a near 30-year run on the blue-chip index.
Rose responded with an 18-month plan to scrap WPP’s holding-company structure and replace it with a single business split into four units: creative, media, production, and enterprise solutions. The restructuring plan, called Elevate28, aims to achieve £500 million in savings by 2028, but is estimated to cost £400 million, with more job cuts expected by the end of the year.
Marie-Claire Barker, the WPP’s chief people officer for performance and culture, has been tasked with helping to implement the new strategy, improve employee performance, and increase AI adoption.
To support the restructure, WPP split its top HR role in two. Mark Taylor joined WPP from the Lego Group in April as global chief people officer, while Marie-Claire Barker moved into a newly created role of chief people officer, performance and culture.
