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WPP acquires Cloud Commerce Group to strengthen its commerce offering
Mumbai: International advertising group WPP has acquired Cloud Commerce Group (CCG), a UK-based technology company that helps brands to market, sell and deliver their products across e-commerce platforms and marketplaces globally, such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Wayfair.
CCG will merge with Wunderman Thompson’s global network offering, Wunderman Thompson Commerce, a platform that aims to support brands across the e-commerce journey including the connection of customer acquisition and multi-platform commerce with inventory, warehousing, and partnerships.
CCG helps brands market, sell and deliver to customers working with some of the most widely-used online marketplaces, while also supporting European retailers and wholesalers through its software integration. It also works with brands such as Ford, IBM, Mars, and Mondelez. The multi-channel e-commerce software platform employs over 100 people across Europe.
This acquisition reflects WPP’s ongoing investment into strengthening its commerce offer for clients and is aligned with the group’s accelerated growth strategy and focused M&A approach, building on existing capabilities in the areas of experience, commerce and technology, stated the company.
“Clients look to WPP to help them market, sell and fulfil across multiple e-commerce channels and marketplaces,” stated WPP CEO Mark Read. “With over £1 billion in revenue transacting through its platform, Cloud Commerce Group already has demonstrable scale and success in managing the complex omnichannel commerce needs of global brands. I am excited about how CCG’s expertise will further strengthen the breadth and depth of our commerce offering to deliver growth for our clients.”
Founded by Mark Hallam and Stuart Forrest in 2015, the e-commerce solutions company is headquartered in Lancaster, England and will see its 100-plus employees across Europe join WPP as a result of the merger.
“The team at WPP are excited by our existing roadmap for developing the Cloud Commerce Pro platform and expanding our marketing services through Cloud Seller Pro and, with the investment and experience WPP bring in growing businesses, we will be able to achieve those goals faster and take on new integrations and markets,” said the statement.
“This acquisition by WPP is the next step of the journey for CCG and we are excited about the opportunities this will present to our hard-working team and growing customer base,” it added.
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Three senior OpenAI infrastructure executives join Meta
Key members of Stargate project move to rival amid aggressive AI spending race.
MUMBAI: Three key architects of OpenAI’s ambitious data centre plans have switched sides and joined Meta Platforms, according to people familiar with the matter. Peter Hoeschele, who played a central role in OpenAI’s high-profile Stargate initiative, is among the new hires. He is joined by Shamez Hemani, who focused on computing strategy and business development, and Anuj Saharan, another leader in the computing organisation. The Information first reported their departure from OpenAI on Thursday.
The moves come as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged to spend aggressively on AI infrastructure. The company is projecting capital expenditure of up to $135 billion this year alone, with hundreds of billions more expected before the end of the decade to support its Meta Superintelligence Labs and new models such as Muse Spark.
OpenAI, which is pushing ahead with massive data centre expansion, had described its early lead in securing computing power as a competitive advantage. Stargate, originally announced last year as a $500 billion venture involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, has since become an umbrella term for the company’s broader data centre ambitions. However, the project has seen recent adjustments, including a pause on its UK plans and the decision not to expand the Abilene, Texas site.
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment, while Hoeschele, Hemani, and Saharan also declined to comment. OpenAI said it was grateful for the contributions of the three employees and remains focused on hiring talent for its infrastructure plans. The company recently brought in former Intel executive Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute efforts.
In the high-stakes race to build the future of artificial intelligence, talent is proving to be as valuable as computing power itself. Meta’s latest hires suggest the competition for top infrastructure minds is intensifying, even as OpenAI continues to scale its own ambitious projects. The move highlights how quickly the AI talent war is heating up across Silicon Valley.
