WPP has appointed Marie-Claire Barker as global chief people officer, ADWEEK has learned.
Barker, who assumes the role at the beginning of June, succeeds Lindsay Pattison, who announced in February that she would step down to take a career break after 16 years with the London-based holding company.
A WPP spokesperson confirmed the promotion to ADWEEK, stating, “We are delighted to confirm that Marie-Claire Barker has been promoted to global chief people officer of WPP.”
Barker brings more than two decades of experience in talent and HR leadership in the advertising and communications industry. She most recently held the same title at GroupM, WPP’s media investment arm, where she spent over three years leading people strategy for its 36,000-employee organization.
Before GroupM, she was global chief talent officer at Edelman, overseeing recruitment, retention, and development. She also held similar roles at Wavemaker and Ogilvy & Mather, both WPP agencies.
Barker began her career in marketing at Kimberly-Clark and Britvic Soft Drinks before transitioning into HR at Allied Domecq Spirits and Wine. She holds a degree in human resources management from Kingston University and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Based in New York, Barker will lead WPP’s people strategy globally, helping shape the culture and talent practices across the company’s network of agencies during a time of upheaval.
In April, WPP began requiring staff return to the office four days per week. The following month, it began a major restructuring of media division GroupM, which led to layoffs. It also realigned Grey underneath Ogilvy’s network earlier this month, a move that could further impact staff.
The structural changes come as WPP reported a 5% year-over-year revenue drop in Q1 2025, with like-for-like revenue down 2.7%.
