Industry February 26, 2026

WPP drops the holding company model: Cindy Rose's AI-focused Elevate28 strategy

Alongside results showing 2025 revenue down 8.1 percent, WPP CEO Cindy Rose announced Elevate28, a strategy converting the company from a holding structure into a single operating company. The plan creates four core divisions — Media, Creative, Production and Enterprise Solutions — and consolidates Ogilvy, VML and AKQA under WPP Creative. It targets £500 million in annualised gross savings by 2028.

A vertical composition of scattered blocks resolving into four monolithic columns joined by an emerald seam of light

WPP announced its Elevate28 strategy on February 26, 2026, alongside preliminary 2025 results. CEO Cindy Rose’s plan converts the company from a holding structure into a single operating company, establishing four core divisions — WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions — with brands such as Ogilvy, VML and AKQA consolidated under WPP Creative.

Announced in a period when 2025 revenue fell 8.1 percent, the plan targets £500 million in annualised gross cost savings and portfolio rationalisation by 2028. In an interview with The Drum, Rose describes the transformation as “one last reset” to be completed within 18 months, repositioning the company as clients’ trusted growth partner in the AI era.