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"Achieved so much together": WPP CEO Mark Read steps down, writes an emotional note
He confirmed he will remain in post until the end of 2025 and will work closely with the board to help find his successor.
Read took over in 2018, in the shadow of WPP founder Martin Sorrell’s dramatic exit. His mandate was clear: simplify, stabilize, and modernize the group. Under his leadership, WPP merged iconic agency brands like JWT and Y&R into VML, and restructured its media portfolio with the creation of EssenceMediacom and the recent rebranding of GroupM as WPP Media. Investments in AI such as the acquisition of InfoSum and the development of WPP Open signaled a future-facing approach.
Mark Read has announced he will step down as CEO of WPP at the end of this year, after nearly seven years in the role. In a statement, Read said there’s never a perfect time to leave a company like WPP, but he believes now is the right moment.
He confirmed he will remain in post until the end of 2025 and will work closely with the board to help find his successor. Read described his time at WPP as a “privilege” and said he was grateful to have worked alongside so many talented and committed colleagues.
Under his leadership, WPP has grown into a simpler and stronger business, securing major assignments from some of the world’s top brands. Client satisfaction is at an all-time high, and the company serves four of the world’s most valuable firms as their lead marketing partner.
Read also highlighted WPP’s creative success, with wins at major award events like Cannes Lions and the Festival of Media. He praised the company’s wide-ranging expertise across media, design, creative, production and public relations, saying that when these teams come together, “something special happens”.
He also pointed to WPP’s investment in artificial intelligence, saying the company has been putting AI at the centre of its operations for the past two years. He said the progress so far has been excellent, and clients have been impressed by WPP’s AI platform, WPP Open.
Despite the challenging business climate, Read said he remains confident in the company’s future and its people. “WPP is a people business at its core,” he said, adding that no technology can replace the creativity, collaboration and insight that staff bring every day.
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Read ended his message by thanking WPP’s clients and partners, and said he was proud of what the company has achieved. While he is stepping down, he made it clear this is not goodbye — and for now, it’s still “business as usual”.
Philip Jansen, WPP’s chairman and the former chief executive of BT Group, praised Read for steering the company into a new era.
“Mark has played a central role in transforming the Company into a world leader in modern marketing services, with deep AI, data and technology capabilities,” Jansen said. “We are pleased that Mark will continue to lead WPP as CEO until the end of the year, remaining focused on the execution of the Company’s growth strategy and supporting a smooth transition to his successor.”
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