LONDON / NEW DELHI — Global advertising and marketing services giant WPP has announced the appointment of Baiju Shah as its new Group Chief Strategy Officer. Shah, a veteran strategist with over 25 years of experience cutting across technology, AI, and creative industries, will take on this expanded remit while continuing to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of WPP-owned agency AKQA.
In his new group-wide role, Shah will join the core corporate leadership team, working in close alignment with WPP’s executive management and the Board of Directors to navigate the next wave of industry transformation.
Driving Corporate Development and Technological Offerings
Shah’s appointment comes at a time when traditional advertising networks are aggressively re-engineering their business models around automated technologies and AI-driven consumer data. His corporate mandate will center on two primary pillars:
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Strategic Corporate Development: Shah will spearhead WPP’s overarching global strategy and corporate growth initiatives. He succeeds Andrew Scott, who is stepping down after a distinguished 27-year tenure at WPP. Scott will collaborate closely with Shah over the coming months to guarantee an orderly operational transition.
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Commercializing Emerging Tech: A core focus of his role will be translating emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge creative capabilities into standardized, scalable client offerings designed to drive new high-margin revenue streams across the group’s network.
Harnessing an Accenture Song Pioneer’s Blueprint
Shah’s rapid ascent within the WPP network follows his move to AKQA in 2025. Prior to joining WPP, he built a reputation as a founding leader and Global Chief Strategy Officer at Accenture Song (formerly Accenture Interactive), where he successfully masterminded the digital network’s aggressive global acquisition agenda, corporate positioning, and AI-enabled business transformations.
This rare combination of legacy consulting discipline and creative tech-savviness was a primary driver behind his elevation, as noted by WPP Chief Executive Officer Cindy Rose:
“Few leaders combine strategic thinking, technology expertise and a deep understanding of where client needs are heading as effectively as Baiju,” Rose stated. “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.”
Commenting on his new appointment, Shah highlighted the unique market position WPP holds as global brands look to reinvent their market presence: “The pace of change across technology, culture and business is creating entirely new opportunities for growth… 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.”
