MAM
WPP names Microsoft executive Cindy Rose as new chief executive
MUMBAI: WPP today announced a significant leadership change, appointing Cindy Rose as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 September 2025. She will succeed Mark Read, who steps down on the same date after a 30-year tenure with the company, including seven years as CEO. Read will assist Rose with the transition until the end of the year.
Rose brings extensive experience from the technology, telecommunications, media, entertainment, and creative industries. For the past nine years, she has held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, most recently as chief operating officer, global enterprise, where she focused on leveraging digital technology and AI for business transformation. Before this, she served as president of Microsoft Western Europe and CEO of Microsoft UK.
Her impressive career also includes leadership positions at Vodafone (managing director, UK consumer
business) and Virgin Media (executive director, digital entertainment and media sales). She spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Co, culminating as senior vice president and managing director of Disney Interactive Media Group, EMEA.
Rose has been a non-executive director on the WPP board since 2019, giving her an intimate understanding of the company’s operations. An alumna of Columbia University and New York Law School, she also serves as an advisory board member at Imperial College Business School and McLaren Racing. Holding both British and American citizenship, she will split her time between London and New York. In recognition of her services to UK technology, she was awarded an OBE in the 2019 New Year Honours.
WPP chair Philip Jansen said:
“Cindy is an outstanding and inspirational business leader with extensive experience at some of the world’s most recognised companies and a track record of growing large-scale businesses. She has led multi-billion-dollar operations across the UK, EMEA and globally, built enduring client relationships and delivered growth in both enterprise and consumer environments.
“Cindy has supported the digital transformation of large enterprises around the world – including embracing AI to create new customer experiences, business models and revenue streams. Her expertise in this landscape will be hugely valuable to WPP as the industry navigates fundamental changes and macroeconomic uncertainty. Cindy’s appointment follows a thorough selection process that considered both internal and external candidates. As an existing Board member she understands our business and the needs of our clients, and we look forward to working with her in her new role as CEO.
“As he hands over to Cindy, I would like to reiterate my sincere thanks to Mark for his tireless commitment during more than 30 years with WPP and in particular the progress he has made to modernise, simplify and transform the company over the last seven years as CEO. On behalf of the Board and the company as a whole I wish him all the very best for the future.”
Rose expressed her excitement about returning to the creative industries.
She said: “WPP is a company I know and love – not only from my six years on the Board but as a client and partner for many years before that – and I couldn’t be happier or more excited to be appointed as CEO. I began my career in the creative industries and this feels like coming home.
“There are so many opportunities ahead for WPP. We have and continue to build market-leading AI capabilities, alongside an unrivalled reputation for creative excellence and a preeminent client list. WPP has the most brilliant, talented, creative people and I can’t wait to write the company’s next chapter together.
“I am grateful to Mark for his many contributions to the business over the years and I look forward to working together to ensure a smooth handover.”
Mark Read said:
“Having worked closely with Cindy for the last six years, I am delighted to see her appointed as CEO of WPP. From her time on the Board, she has real insight into our business and knows many of our clients, people and partners around the world.
“She brings deep experience of technology and AI and its transformational impact on business, and has successfully run large global organisations with talent at their core. After seven years as CEO, I know that I am leaving WPP in excellent hands.”
Brands
Nykaa eyes majority stake in Deepika Padukone’s 82°E brand
Deal could help scale premium label as Nykaa sharpens its beauty play
MUMBAI: Nykaa is in advanced discussions to acquire a majority stake in 82°E, the premium skincare label founded by Deepika Padukone, according to media reports.
The proposed deal signals Nykaa’s intent to deepen its House of Nykaa portfolio while giving 82°E the scale it has struggled to achieve independently. Padukone is expected to retain a minority stake if the transaction goes through.
For Nykaa, the play is both strategic and timely. With a customer base of over 42 million, the company is betting on its strong distribution, logistics, and repeat purchase ecosystem to revive the brand’s momentum. The two sides already share a working relationship, with Padukone serving as Nykaa’s global brand ambassador since September 2025.
Launched in late 2022, 82°E entered the market with a premium positioning but has faced headwinds. The brand reported revenue of Rs 14.7 crore in FY25, down 30 per cent year on year, alongside losses of Rs 12.26 crore. Industry observers have pointed to steep pricing, a somewhat diffused brand identity, and intense competition from digital-first labels as key challenges.
The potential acquisition also reflects a broader shift in India’s beauty and lifestyle space, where celebrity-led brands are increasingly partnering with larger corporates to unlock scale. Alia Bhatt’s Ed-a-Mamma, for instance, sold a majority stake to Reliance Retail, while Katrina Kaif’s Kay Beauty has emerged as a standout success within Nykaa’s portfolio, clocking Rs 132.4 crore in FY25 revenue.
Nykaa itself has been on a strong growth trajectory. Its parent, FSN E-Commerce Ventures, reported a 156 per cent jump in net profit to Rs 68 crore in the December 2025 quarter, with revenue reaching Rs 2,873 crore.
Nykaa has been steadily building its portfolio through acquisitions such as Dot & Key, Earth Rhythm and Nudge Wellness, signalling a clear push to own and scale homegrown brands.
If the 82°E deal materialises, it could mark a fresh chapter for the label, blending celebrity appeal with corporate muscle. For Nykaa, it is another calculated step in staying ahead in an increasingly crowded beauty aisle.
