WPP PLC (LSE:WPP) has decided to make non-executive director Cindy Rose, also a current Microsoft divisional leader and former Vodafone and Disney exec, its new chief executive.
She will take over on 1 September, based in both London and New York, when current boss Mark Read steps down from the FTSE 100-listed advertising and marketing group, which yesterday saw its shares fell almost 19% after a profit warning.
Rose, who has British and American citizenship and has been on the WPP board since 2019, is currently chief operating officer at Microsoft's global enterprises arm, as part of a nine-year stint at the US tech giant.
WPP highlighted that her latest role "helps the world's largest companies use digital technology and AI to drive business transformation", following roles as president of Microsoft Western Europe and CEO of Microsoft UK.
She previously worked at Vodafone's UK consumer business, was executive director of digital entertainment and media sales at Virgin Media and spent 15 years at Disney.
Board chair Philip Jansen said Rose is "an outstanding and inspirational business leader with extensive experience at some of the world's most recognised companies and a track record of growing large-scale businesses".
He highlighted her time leading multi-billion-dollar operations across the UK, EMEA and globally, building enduring client relationships and delivering growth in both enterprise and consumer environments.
"Her expertise in this landscape will be hugely valuable to WPP as the industry navigates fundamental changes and macroeconomic uncertainty," Jansen added.