‘No sugarcoating’: WPP staff split on incoming CEO Cindy Rose’s first address

August 28, 2025 9:59

As Microsoft’s Cindy Rose prepares to join WPP next week as its new global chief executive officer, she has addressed staff for the first time, speaking to the challenging journey ahead.

In a video shared with employees, first obtained by Adweek, Rose acknowledged WPP’s difficult first half of 2025, while urging staff to feel excited about the company’s future. The London-listed group reported sharp revenue declines earlier this month.

“Now, I won’t sugarcoat this. We have a lot of hard work ahead, and of course it won’t be easy,” Rose said in the video.

Subscribe to keep reading

Join Mumbrella Pro to access the Mumbrella archive and read our premium analysis of everything under the media and marketing umbrella.

Lauren McNamara

Lauren McNamara is a freelance journalist. She previously spent three years at Mumbrella, most recently as the associate editor. She left her staff role in August 2025.