Two of the world’s biggest advertising groups with vastly differing recent fortunes are pushing ahead with major executive pay increases despite growing opposition from shareholders and advisers at one.
The global CEO of WPP, Cindy Rose, set to receive up to £11.1 million (A$22.8 million), while the global CEO of Publicis Groupe, Arthur Sadoun, is in line for potential compensation of €10.5 million (A$18.2 million).
At WPP’s annual general meeting, shareholders approved Rose’s pay package with 75.84 per cent support, although the one in four votes that opposed the pay rise marks a notable protest vote for a CEO who has been in post for less than a year.
Proxy advisers ISS and Glass Lewis had both urged investors to reject the package.
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Rose took over in September last year during a period of client losses, weakening growth and legal woes, and now sits at the centre of a major turnaround effort. Her maximum payout of £11.1 million (A$22.8 million) is tied to demanding performance targets, including a 50 per cent rise in WPP’s share price alongside short- and long-term incentive goals.
She joined WPP on a base salary of £1.25 million (A$2.6 million), plus a US apartment allowance, and has since launched a sweeping restructuring plan known as “Elevate28”.
The strategy includes £500 million (A$1.03 billion) in cost reductions, consolidation of operations and a streamlined leadership structure across global markets, with WPP targeting a return to growth by 2027.
WPP — once the world’s largest advertising company and with a significant campus in Manchester City Centre — reported full-year 2025 revenue of £13.55 billion (A$27.9 billion) last year, down 8.1 per cent on a reported basis and 3.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis. Revenue also fell again in the March quarter, although management said trading remained “consistent with expectations” and pointed to an improving outlook later in the year.
Meanwhile, WPP’s arch rival, French ad giant Publicis, is set to reward Sadoun after several years of strong growth that has lifted the French group ahead of many global rivals, including WPP.
Publicis’ board has proposed increasing Sadoun’s fixed annual compensation by 20 per cent to €1.404 million (A$2.4 million), noting his base salary has remained unchanged since 2022 and sits below peers at WPP and Omnicom Group.
Including incentives, Sadoun’s total package could rise to €10.5 million (A$18.2 million), subject to performance.
