Adweek and MediaPost reported WPP US President Michael Houston—a 24-year veteran of the recently relabeled single White operating company—is shifting to an advisory role through Q1 2027.
On a sidenote, it’s pathetic that Adweek still refers to WPP as a holding company, despite publishing content where WPP CEO Cindy Rose declared the corporation is “no longer a holding company.” Apparently, Adweek editors are not reading their own reporting.
The new appointment for Houston demonstrates a “natural and planned evolution for WPP, as our operating model continues to evolve,” Rose stated via a note to drones and leaders in the flaming dumpster.
The Adweek report is subscriber-only content not worth paying for, so it’s unclear if Rose provided more details, rationale, and/or motivation for reassigning Houston.
Regardless, it’s a bad look for WPP.
After all, Houston is a rarity—a Black man holding a C-suite position in Adland.
When DEIBA+ still mattered in 2020–2021, former WPP CEO Mark Read confessed internal data “underlines the work we have to do to ensure greater representation of Black, Asian and other under-represented communities within WPP—especially at the more senior levels … we have a huge amount of work to do…”
In contrast, Rose has not mentioned DEIBA+ at all. In her defense, the topic is no longer an industry concern.
Yet for someone whose alleged ambition is to revitalize and recreate WPP, Rose’s moves to date arguably indicate reverting to an enterprise of exclusivity.
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