Tesco share price spikes as Dunnhumby sale speculation mounts March 16, 2015 Tesco shares spiked four per cent in afternoon trading amid mounting speculation of a potential sale of its lucrative data business Dunnhumby. A deal, which could be worth as much as £2bn to the supermarket according to analysts, is moving ahead, with WPP and a host of private equity firms vying for the data company [...]
Sir Martin Sorrell in line for record £36m pay packet after 2014 success March 16, 2015 WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell is facing the prospect of a further shareholder revolt this summer with his remuneration for 2014 set to be £36m. Sorrell has fought several bruising battles with shareholders over the size of his pay packages in recent years, culminating with a heavy defeat in 2012. None of the recent [...]
Tesco’s Dunnhumby: Is Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP about to take a stake in the supermarket’s data business? March 15, 2015 Tesco could be about to sell off a majority stake in its data arm that was responsible for creating the Tesco Clubcard loyalty scheme. The world’s largest advertising firm, Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP, has made an offer for Tesco's Dunnhumby, Bloomberg reports. Tesco brought in Goldman Sachs in January to explore options for Dunnhumby as [...]
WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell slams critics of his pay deals March 9, 2015 WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell hit back at criticism that his remuneration was excessive yesterday, saying that if you personally risked investing in and building a business from scratch to the global leadership position in its sector it would be only natural to be rewarded for it Sorrell, who saw off a shareholder revolt over [...]
Bullish results for Martin Sorrell’s WPP: World’s largest advertising group reports 12 per cent jump in profits March 9, 2015 2015 has started well for the world’s largest advertising group and its chief Martin Sorrell. The figures WPP has announced a 12 per cent boost in profit before tax during 2014: it rose to £1.5bn, with sales of £11.5bn, five per cent higher than in 2013. The company also started January well, with like-for-like sales rising an [...]
WPP invests in George Pyne’s new sports marketing startup January 6, 2015 The world’s largest communications services group, WPP, announced yesterday that it was leading a syndicate investing $250m (£165m) in Bruin Sports Capital, a sports marketing startup. Bruin was launched by former IMG sports and entertainment president George Pyne. Bruin will build its portfolio organically as well through acquisitions and investments in established sports marketing businesses, [...]
New WPP chair Roberto Quarta quits top jobs at IMI and Stockwell December 17, 2014 Incoming WPP chairman Roberto Quarta is leaving a second senior position before he takes up the role in June. Quarta has agreed to step down as chairman of industrial group IMI as soon as a successor is found. And City A.M. understands he is also leaving Stockwell, where he acted as an adviser to the firm’s [...]
WPP ends its chairman search by hiring Roberto Quarta from IMI December 16, 2014 Roberto Quarta has told the industrial group IMI that he will step down as chairman by the middle of next year in order to take up a similar role at WPP, the marketing services giant. Quarta, a respected industrialist, will replace Philip Lader as chairman of WPP. Lader has held the job since 2001, slightly longer [...]
WPP awaits a new era on its board – Editor’s Letter December 9, 2014 By the time the last of the chocolates have been foraged from the Advent Calendar, or thereabouts, WPP, the giant advertising group run by Sir Martin Sorrell, will very likely have chosen a new chair for the company’s board. The group, which has had regular spats with shareholders over the scale of its executive pay, [...]
Ukip? SNP? WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell warns Conservatives could find any new coalition partner “more difficult” November 19, 2014 WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell has warned of “clouds on the horizon” for the Conservatives, even if they win the 2015 election, noting that a coalition with untested parties such as Ukip and the SNP is likely. Sorrell – who gave the keynote speech at the City A.M. Awards last week – tipped the [...]