“If there is a harder job in Adland I can’t think of one.” That’s how ID Comms co-founder Tom Denford (in the latest edition of the company’s podcast MediaSnack) described the post of WPP CEO, newly filled by Cindy Rose who succeeded Mark Read on Sept. 1. 

In the podcast Denford and his fellow ID Comms co-founder David Indo give their take on the challenges facing Rose as she tries to revitalize the company in the months ahead. 

It’s been a very bumpy year for the holding company. In that time it has shed half of its share price and about 7,000 jobs, Denford noted.  

And as he pointed out, Rose has yet to lay out her strategic vision for the company (at least to the outside world). Which prompts the question: What does the firm’s board of directors want her to do, transform the company into a thriving competitor of main cohorts like Publicis and Omnicom or package the firm up for sale? 

“She understands the challenges and has a formidable reputation as a transformation expert,” said Indo.  

WPP is a “silo-cultured company,” with “big fiefdoms,” Denford asserts. There is, he added, “a lot of tension between creative and media” divisions within the firm. To compete more effectively, Rose needs to “build a community internally to carry out the vision as a team.” Case in point, he said, is Publicis Groupe, which has done that effectively with its “Power Of One” approach. 

If there’s one thing Rose wants to do in the near term, said Indo, it’s keep existing clients “very happy.” Which is why clients at the holding company may want to “recalibrate terms and talent” with their current agencies.