WPP COO Andrew Scott announces retirement and board exit

United Kingdom  – WPP has announced that Andrew Scott, its chief operating officer (COO) and board member, will retire at the end of the year after nearly three decades with the company.

Scott will work alongside incoming CEO Cindy Rose in the coming months before taking on an advisory role to support the transition of his responsibilities to other senior leaders and assist with strategy execution.

He joined WPP in 1999 as director of corporate development and later served as COO for Europe before being appointed global COO in 2018, overseeing the group’s country structure in key markets. In 2023, he was named to the board.

Over his tenure, Scott led WPP’s mergers and acquisitions activity, shaping the company through a series of deals. These included acquisitions such as Satalia and InfoSum, which strengthened WPP’s position in AI, data and technology, as well as significant divestments, including the sale of a 60% stake in Kantar to Bain Capital and the more recent sale of FGS Global to KKR.

Speaking about his retirement, Scott shared, “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.”

Scott’s departure comes amid a wider leadership transition at WPP, which has been grappling with client losses in 2025. His retirement follows that of outgoing CEO Mark Read, marking another major change at the company’s top level by year-end.

“Few people have done more than Andrew to shape WPP and to drive its success over the last three decades,” Read said. “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.”