WPP (LON: WPP), the global advertising, media and marketing communications group, said on Wednesday that Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director Joanne Wilson is leaving to take up the same role at Diageo. WPP shares were trading modestly lower on the news.
WPP shares stood at 383.1p at 9.02am (BST), down 0.36% from Tuesday’s close of 384.5p, having opened at 375.0p and traded as high as 383.6p during the morning session.
Wilson is moving to Diageo (LON: DGE), the FTSE 100 drinks company behind brands such as Johnnie Walker and Guinness, where she will become Chief Financial Officer. WPP said Wilson will remain in her current post while the transition is managed, and that she is serving a 12-month notice period with no departure date yet agreed. The company’s board has started a formal search process to appoint her replacement. The announcement was made under the Financial Conduct Authority’s UK Listing Rule 6.4.6R, which requires listed companies to disclose changes to their board.
Wilson has been CFO for around three years, a period WPP says included progress on Elevate28, its multi-year strategic growth plan. Chief Executive Cindy Rose framed the move as an orderly handover rather than a disruption to that strategy, and WPP confirmed that its guidance for 2026 is unchanged from the figures set out alongside its Interim Results on 6 August. No successor has yet been named.
On behalf of the executive team, I would like to thank Joanne for her significant contribution over the past three years. She has been a valued partner as we have strengthened the business, sharpened our financial discipline and begun to deliver our phase one of Elevate28. I am grateful that Joanne will continue to work with me in ensuring continuity, a smooth handover and sustained focus on execution as we deliver on our strategy.
Cindy Rose, Chief Executive Officer, WPP
Wilson said she was proud of what had been achieved during her time at WPP, thanking staff for their support as she prepares to leave for Diageo. With guidance unchanged and the notice period running for up to 12 months, the focus for shareholders now shifts to who WPP’s board appoints as her successor.