At a moment when the transformation of agency systems is increasingly measured through operational speed and the ability to adapt to an AI environment, WPP is making a clearer shift in how it structures its people function. The appointment of Mark Taylor as global chief people officer, alongside the parallel redefinition of Marie-Claire Barker’s role, signals a move from a traditional HR model to a structure that directly supports performance and organisational agility.
Taylor steps into the role at a time when the company is accelerating the implementation of its three-year Elevate28 strategy, conceived as a framework for simplifying operations, integrating capabilities and building a technologically enabled organisation. His role is not only кадровска, but structural, with a focus on redefining how WPP builds, develops and utilises talent in a system increasingly reliant on AI and digital tools.
Prior to joining WPP, Taylor served as chief people advisor at LEGO Group, where he worked at board and ownership level, including executive hiring processes and the transformation of the HR function across the entire ecosystem. His experience also includes roles at Burberry, where he contributed to the brand’s digital transformation, and at King, where he worked on redefining the operating model and integration with Activision Blizzard.
At the same time, Marie-Claire Barker transitions into a more focused role as Chief People Officer, Performance & Culture, effectively splitting the people function into two parallel tracks: one focused on structure and talent strategy, and the other managing performance, culture and employee experience. This division indicates that WPP no longer treats culture as a “soft” layer of the organisation, but as an operational tool designed to support results.
Chief executive Cindy Rose sees this combination as key to accelerating the modernisation of the internal structure, highlighting the company’s ambition to become a relevant destination for talent in a rapidly changing industry. In the context of declining revenues and pressure on operational efficiency, the people function becomes directly tied to business outcomes, rather than serving solely as organisational support.
This appointment comes shortly after the arrival of Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer, reinforcing that WPP is simultaneously building a leadership team designed to deliver transformation on multiple fronts. The focus is no longer solely on creative and client capabilities, but on how the organisation itself is structured to respond to new market conditions.
In a broader context, WPP’s move reflects a shift across the entire industry, where the HR function is moving out of the administrative domain and becoming a central mechanism of transformation. If the previous phase was digital, this one is clearly organisational, and the way companies design their workforce is becoming just as important as what they offer to clients.
