• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, August 5, 2018

A report on the UK financial website This Is Money asserts that former WPP chief Martin Sorrell is “struggling” to attract board members to his new venture S4 Capital.

The article quotes undisclosed sources who indicate that Sorrell’s public squabbles with his former employer WPP are at the heart of the issue.

Apparently, per the article, no one wants to be associated with a messy divorce. And it’s hard to deny the parting of ways has not been messy.

S4’s recent acquisition of Mediamonks added fuel to the fire.

WPP was a contender in the bidding for the company and publicly stated that Sorrell jeopardized future payouts per his separation agreement. Given what WPP said, the reason must have been Sorrell’s disclosure of confidential information acquired while he was still at WPP to help seal the MM deal for S4.

Sorrell retorted that WPP’s allegations were poppycock or words to that effect.

Who knows, though. This Is Money may be spot on. Then again, maybe talented potential board members just don’t want to labor on behalf of a “peanut,” as Sorrell himself has described his new venture.