Cindy Rose

Cindy Rose is the Chief Executive Officer of WPP, the world's largest advertising and communications group, appointed in September 2025. Her selection to lead WPP marks a significant strategic signal — bringing a technology-first operator to helm a holding company navigating the convergence of AI, data, and creative services at scale. She succeeded Mark Read, who had led the company since 2018 through a period of restructuring and digital transformation. Prior to WPP, Rose served as Chief Operating Officer of Global Enterprise at Microsoft, where she was responsible for driving enterprise cloud adoption and digital transformation across Microsoft's largest global clients. Before that role, she served as CEO of Microsoft UK, a position she held for several years and in which she became a prominent voice on technology, diversity, and digital skills in Britain. Her tenure at Microsoft UK was marked by significant growth in cloud services and a strong public profile on issues of AI readiness and workforce transformation. Rose's appointment at WPP is widely seen as a bet on technology-led reinvention of the holding company model, as the industry grapples with AI disruption, identity signal loss, and the growing power of retail media and data clean rooms. Her background in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, and large-scale digital transformation positions her to accelerate WPP's AI and data strategy across its portfolio of agencies including Ogilvy, GroupM, and VMLY&R.

• BA, University of Oxford

• Appointed CEO of WPP in September 2025, becoming one of the most prominent female CEOs in global advertising
• Led Microsoft UK to significant cloud and AI growth, positioning the UK subsidiary as a leader in enterprise digital transformation
• Championed digital skills and AI readiness initiatives in the UK during her tenure as Microsoft UK CEO
• Selected to lead WPP's strategic pivot toward AI-integrated marketing services at a critical industry inflection point