Advertising powerhouse, WPP has brought in Mark Taylor as its new global chief people officer. It’s a key step in the firm’s Elevate28 strategy, a three-year push launched back in February to make the company leaner, smarter, and more unified. Taylor, who was chief people advisor at Lego until recently, steps up to revamp WPP’s workforce setup.
He’ll work alongside Marie-Claire Barker, who’s shifting her role to focus squarely on performance and culture. Together, this leadership duo is anticipated to modernize how WPP handles its staff, aiming to turn it into a top spot for careers in the fast-paced advertising world. Their job will involve building a high-performance culture powered by AI and new tech tools.
“This combination gives me incredible confidence in our ability to modernize our People function at pace and make WPP the best place to build a career in our industry,” WPP boss, Cindy Rose said. Taylor is reported to possess a strong track record , not just from Lego but also from his time at Burberry, where he helped build talent pools and shake up teams for better results.
Elevate28 aims to save a whopping £500m a year by slimming down operations to just four main units across different regions. It leans heavily on WPP’s own AI platform, WPP Open, to boost efficiency and client work. The strategy comes at a time when the ad industry is facing fierce competition, talent shortages, and the need to adapt to digital shifts.
This hire follows hot on the heels of last week’s appointment of Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer. It shows WPP is on a hiring spree, bringing in top executives to hit Elevate28’s ambitious goals. WPP hopes it will deliver real growth and sharper results for clients down the line.
