Key Points
- WPP has appointed Anne-Isabelle Choueiri, formerly SVP of transformation at The Estée Lauder Companies, as its new chief transformation officer in a newly created role.
- Choueiri, based in New York, will report directly to WPP CEO Cindy Rose and join the executive committee.
- She will design, implement, and embed operations for WPP’s “Elevate28” three-year turnaround plan, aiming for growth by 2028 following an 8.1% year-on-year revenue decline.
- Key responsibilities include leading organisational transformation, integrating AI and technology into daily processes, enhancing innovation, efficiency, and client connectivity, and fostering cultural change with the people team.
- Choueiri brings six years of experience at Estée Lauder, where she shaped the operating model, marketing, data, analytics, AI strategy, and enterprise technology redesign.
- Prior roles include leadership positions at Accenture, Bain’s Masaï, and Kearney in strategy, data, and digital marketing transformation.
- WPP CEO Cindy Rose praised Choueiri’s proven track record in large-scale evolution across operations, technology, and culture.
- Choueiri described joining at a “pivotal moment” and expressed excitement about building a culture where innovation thrives.
- The role is newly created at group level, though similar positions exist in subsidiaries like WPP Media; it marks the eighth woman on WPP’s 19-strong executive committee.
- Elevate28, unveiled in February 2026, restructures WPP into four units (WPP Media, Creative, Production, Enterprise Solutions) across four regions, underpinned by WPP Open AI platform, targeting $676 million in annual cost savings.
Inverted Pyramid
WPP, the global advertising giant, has appointed Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as its chief transformation officer to spearhead its ambitious “Elevate28” turnaround strategy amid ongoing challenges. The French executive, previously SVP of transformation at The Estée Lauder Companies, will be based in New York, report to CEO Cindy Rose, and sit on the executive committee, as announced on 9 April 2026.
This move comes as WPP seeks to stabilise operations in 2026, build momentum in 2027, and return to growth by 2028, following an 8.1% year-on-year revenue decline that prompted the Elevate28 plan in February.
Who is Anne-Isabelle Choueiri?
Anne-Isabelle Choueiri joins WPP from The Estée Lauder Companies, where she spent six years, most recently as SVP of transformation. As reported by the indiantelevision.com Team of Indian Television Dot Com Pvt Ltd, at Estée Lauder, she led enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, including the “One ELC” operating model and major upgrades to enterprise marketing, data, and analytics capabilities.
She also served on the company’s AI taskforce, driving AI strategy, adoption, and value realisation across the business, and led the redesign of enterprise technology teams.
Before Estée Lauder, Choueiri held senior roles across consulting and digital agencies. Emma Hall of More About Advertising noted that she started as a management consultant at Accenture in 2000 before switching into the digital marketing space, with leadership positions at Bain’s Masaï (a Bain & Company spin-off) and Kearney, spanning strategy, data, and digital marketing transformation.
What is Her Role at WPP?
Choueiri will be responsible for designing, implementing, and embedding the operating model behind Elevate28, WPP’s three-year growth plan. As detailed in Adweek, she will lead efforts to make WPP more innovative, efficient, and better connected for clients, including baking AI and tech into day-to-day processes and working with the people team to support staff through changes.
The indiantelevision.com Team reported that she will oversee organisational transformation across the group, working closely with product and enterprise technology teams to deploy AI, data, and technology for new capabilities and improved performance. She will also embed cultural change, strengthen an agile performance mindset, and support talent development.
Emma Hall of More About Advertising highlighted that her job is to lead organisational transformation and build a new mindset across the group, marking her as the eighth woman on WPP’s now 19-strong executive committee.
WPP described the role as newly created at the group level, though holdco veteran Lindsay Pattison previously held it in 2017 before becoming chief client and chief people officer and departing in 2025. Other similar roles include Silvia Sparry as global chief transformation officer of WPP Media since June 2022, and Anji Henry as chief strategy and transformation officer for enterprise technology in 2024.
Why Did WPP Appoint Choueiri?
WPP CEO Cindy Rose emphasised the need for fundamental transformation. As quoted by Emma Hall of More About Advertising, Rose said: “Delivering on our Elevate28 strategy requires us to fundamentally transform how we operate and how we show up for clients. Anne-Isabelle has a proven track record of leading this kind of evolution at scale across operations, technology and culture in innovative ways. She is exactly the leader we need to drive bold, lasting change at WPP.”
Adweek reported Rose adding that Choueiri brings a strong track record of leading large-scale transformation across operations, technology, and culture, which will help accelerate the group’s next phase of growth under Elevate28.
The appointment aligns with WPP’s reset under Rose, who joined as share price hit a 16-year low in September 2025. PRWeek noted she has already started transforming the business.
What is the Elevate28 Plan?
Elevate28, announced in February 2026 after six months of rigorous analysis and client consultations including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestlé, and Ford, orients WPP around four units: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production, and WPP Enterprise Solutions, across four regions: North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC. It is underpinned by the proprietary AI platform WPP Open.
Adweek detailed that the plan aims to stabilise in 2026 with cost-saving initiatives, implement a new go-to-market strategy in 2027 for organic growth, and deliver annual cost savings of $676 million (£500 million). WPP engaged McKinsey for a strategic review in November 2025.
Rose stated it would consolidate leadership at global, regional, and market levels, remove duplicate roles across creative agencies, and de-duplicate finance and people functions over three years, though she declined specifics on further layoffs.
What Did Key Figures Say?
Cindy Rose welcomed Choueiri’s expertise. The indiantelevision.com Team quoted her saying Choueiri brings a strong track record of leading large-scale transformation across operations, technology and culture, adding that her appointment will help accelerate the group’s next phase of growth under Elevate28.
Anne-Isabelle Choueiri expressed enthusiasm. As reported in Adweek, she said: “Lasting transformation requires the right culture and operational mindset, and I’m excited to help build an environment where innovation thrives, and our people are empowered to embrace change.”
Emma Hall of More About Advertising provided her fuller statement: “I look forward to working with Cindy and her team to transform how we operate and deliver for our clients – ensuring we continue to build integrated solutions that drive real impact. Lasting transformation requires the right culture and operational mindset and I’m excited to help build an environment where innovation thrives and our people are empowered to embrace change.”
How Does This Fit WPP’s Broader Changes?
This appointment underscores WPP’s commitment to leadership refresh. Halifax Market News confirmed the hire on 10 April 2026, noting her role in underpinning Elevate28.
It follows other moves, though earlier, such as Devika Bulchandani as COO and Laurent Ezekiel as global CEO of Ogilvy in September 2025.
Marketscreener logged the news at 01:40pm on 9 April.
Implications for WPP’s Future
Choueiri’s focus on AI, agile solutions, and cultural shifts positions WPP to compete in a tech-driven ad landscape. Her Estée Lauder success in AI and operating models could prove pivotal.
For professionals eyeing Digital Marketing or Artificial Intelligence careers, such transformations highlight the demand for transformation leaders skilled in AI integration and organisational change—skills honed through targeted training.