BT boss Philip Jansen is being considered as one of the possibilities for the new chair of marketing services and communications giant WPP when Roberto Quarta (pictured) steps down later this year.
Quarta has been chairman of WPP – whose agencies include Ogilvy, Group M and the recently-merged Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R – since 2015.
Jansen, who will be leaving BT in the spring, is among a number of prospective candidates who have been approached about replacing Quarta at the group in recent weeks, according to a report from Sky News.
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However, the report also said city sources had revealed the search was “not yet at an advanced stage” and there was no certainty that either party would take the process any further.
WPP began looking for a replacement for Quarta last year.
At the time, it was revealed that the communications group was looking to choose a chairman from outside its current board members.
WPP has had a turbulent year after being forced to issue its second profit warning of 2023 in October last year. Despite this slump – which slump, which it attributed to “declines in North America”, the group has retained a market value of just over £8bn.
Both WPP and Mr Jansen both declined to comment on any aspect of the recruitment process to find Quarta’s successor.
