WPP Begins New Chapter After Seven Turbulent Years Under Mark Read

Mark Read’s departure marks the end of a transformative yet testing era for the world’s largest advertising group, as it seeks fresh leadership amid rapid technological and industry change.

Mark Read has announced his intention to step down as Chief Executive Officer of WPP, effective 31 December 2025. After more than 30 years with the agency network and seven years at its helm his departure signals the end of a significant chapter in WPP’s evolution.

I have had the opportunity to work within the WPP network at various points in my career, including at the technology agency Cognifide when Read replaced Sir Martin Sorrell in 2018.

Shortly after taking the reins, Read began a major restructuring of the agency group. First, Cognifide was merged into Wunderman; then Wunderman was combined with J. Walter Thompson to form Wunderman Thompson. This was later followed by a further merger with Y&R, culminating in the final merger with the VML network an integration that took many in the industry by surprise due to its speed and scale and the fact that this little known digital shop had subsumed the crown jewels of the WPP network and some of the most famous advertising agencies of …