WPP has confirmed today that Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Scott, is to retire at the end of the year.
He’s spent the last 27 at the agency, which has recently seen shares tumble amid profit warnings.
Scott joined the company in 1999 as Director of Corporate Development. He held a number of other senior roles, including Chief Operating Officer for Europe, before being appointed global Chief Operating Officer in 2018 where his responsibilities included leading WPP’s country structure in key markets. In 2023 he was appointed to the Board.
He will remain in position to work with incoming CEO, Cindy Rose and then act as a Senior Advisor to “transition his various roles and responsibilities” to other senior executives. He’ll also support “strategy execution.”
“After 27 years at WPP, and at a time of transition for the business, it feels like the right moment to make this change. I’ve known Cindy for a long time and worked closely with her on the Board of WPP, and I’m excited for the future of WPP under her leadership. I’d also like to thank Mark and the rest of the team for all the support they’ve given me over the years,” he said.
Microsoft executive and board member, Cindy Rose will take up her role as CEO on 1st September, replacing outgoing CEO, Mark Read.
“Few people have done more than Andrew to shape WPP and to drive its success over the last three decades,” said Read.
“He has been a brilliant partner to me and the wider leadership team throughout and has made a tremendous contribution to WPP in his most recent role as Chief Operating Officer.”
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Scott led on M&A activity at WPP and has been responsible for many of the acquisitions that have helped create the group, most recently Satalia and InfoSum to strengthen its position in AI.
Earlier this month, WPP reportedly cut staff bonuses by 60% and halved its dividend payout after a sharp drop in Q2 revenues. It’s expected that Rose will carry out a full strategic review when she officially starts next week.
