WPP appoints Robin Dargue as group CIO to lead IT transformation
Advertising giant deepens drive into data analytics.
Global advertising agency WPP has appointed Robin Dargue as its group CIO, a newly created role. David Nicoll, who has been with WPP since June 1994 and became the company’s parent company CIO in June 1999, will remain at the company, reporting to Dargue.
Global advertising agency WPP has appointed Robin Dargue as its group CIO, a newly created role.
David Nicoll, who has been with WPP since June 1994 and became the company’s parent company CIO in June 1999, will remain at the company, reporting to Dargue.
Dargue’s appointment was published in WPP’s annual results today, as the company strives to improve its operational effectiveness and move deeper into data analysis.
WPP made 62 acquisitions last year as it focussed on new markets, new media and data. Some 22 of the acquisitions were in ‘data investment management, including data analystics and the application of techonolgy,’ according to the preliminary results.
WPP is in the process of consolidating its IT infrastructure and provision of services, and centralising its systems development and applications, to create efficiencies and cut costs. It started the IT project in 2012 and said that it expects the programme to take three to five years to deliver “full benefit”.
“In 2013, the group incurred restructuring costs of £5 million as a result of the continuing rationalisation of its IT infrastructure,” WPP said in its 2013 preliminary year end results today.