08/08/2025
In his final earnings report as CEO of WPP, Mark Read acknowledged the first half of the year had been ‘challenging’, blaming it on tighter client spending and a slower new business environment.
Still, Read looked to inject optimism, eager to protect his legacy as well as investor reaction.
He pointed to early signs of progress at the company, including: a 3.7% reduction in global headcount (down to 104,000), simplified operations, and restructuring within WPP Media — which replaced GroupM earlier this year.
It’s now being presented as the heart of a centralised, more responsive AI-driven business model.
WPP continued its painful 2025 with another set of disappointing results
