Introducing Cindy Rose
WPP ($WPP) has appointed Cindy Rose as its new chief executive officer, a move aimed at steering the advertising group toward recovery. Rose, who currently serves as a senior executive at Microsoft, will take over from Mark Read on September 1, 2025.
Career Highlights
At 59 years old, Cindy Rose holds both British and American citizenship. She is an alumna of Columbia University and New York Law School, and has been on the WPP board since 2019 as a non-executive director.
Her extensive career at Microsoft spans nine years, including her recent position as Chief Operating Officer for Global Enterprise Sales since February 2023 and previous roles such as President of Microsoft Western Europe and CEO of Microsoft UK.
Achievements at Microsoft
In 2019, Rose played a significant role in a government study assessing the competitiveness of the UK's technology sector and was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the UK government.
Experience in Other Companies
Before her tenure at Microsoft, Rose held leadership positions at Vodacom UK and Virgin Media, as well as a long stint at Disney.
She was the Managing Director of the Consumer Division at Vodacom UK from October 2013 to May 2016 and served as Executive Director for Digital Entertainment at Virgin Media from November 2009 to June 2013.
At Disney, she accumulated 15 years of experience in various roles, culminating in her position as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for EMEA at Disney Interactive Media Group.
Board Memberships
Additionally, Rose has served as a director for Informa from April 2014 to May 2019 and for Talkmobile from July 2014 to April 2016.
As WPP embarks on this new chapter under Cindy Rose's leadership, the advertising giant is poised for an exciting transformation.