Published on: June 23, 2026
WPP announced the appointment of Baiju Shah as Group Chief Strategy Officer. In this role, Baiju will help to accelerate delivery of the company’s long-term strategy and unlock corporate development opportunities across WPP.
Baiju will be working closely with WPP’s management team and Board to help shape where the company plays, how it wins and what it invests in to create long-term competitive advantage. This includes translating emerging technologies, new capabilities and frontier client work into differentiated offers and new avenues for growth.
In this expanded remit, Baiju will lead a core team focused on WPP’s group-wide strategy and future corporate development initiatives. The latter has previously been led by Andrew Scott, who leaves WPP after 27 years of service and will work closely with Baiju to ensure a smooth transition.
Baiju will continue to serve as CEO of AKQA, bringing the agency’s innovative outlook to his new cross-WPP role. Baiju has more than 25 years of experience spanning strategy, creativity, technology and AI. He joined AKQA in 2025 from Accenture Song, where he served as Global Chief Strategy Officer and, as a founding leader of the business, helped shape its growth strategy, acquisition agenda and AI-enabled transformation.
Commenting on the appointment, Cindy Rose, Chief Executive Officer of WPP, said: “Few leaders combine strategic thinking, technology expertise and a deep understanding of where client needs are heading as effectively as Baiju. As WPP’s group Chief Strategy Officer, he will play a critical role in accelerating our Elevate28 strategy, helping to shape our investment priorities, anticipate the future needs of our clients, and position WPP for the next wave of growth.”
Baiju Shah added: “The pace of change across technology, culture and business is creating entirely new opportunities for growth. As our clients look to adapt and compete in this new environment, WPP is uniquely positioned to help them create advantage. I’m excited to bring AKQA’s frontier perspective to a broader role and help WPP build what will matter most for our clients in the years ahead.”
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