Baiju Shah, CEO of WPP’s AKQA Group, has just added a major new role to his remit—group chief strategy officer. He joined WPP last year from Accenture Song, where he was CSO, to take on the leadership role at AKQA.  

Now Shah will also lead a team focused on WPP's group-wide strategy and future corporate development initiatives. The latter has previously been led by Andrew Scott, who, as previously announced, is leaving WPP after 27 years. He will work with Shah to ensure a smooth transition on the corporate development aspect of his new duties. Scott stepped down from the chief operating officer post at the end of 2025 (succeeded by Devika Bulchandani) but remains an advisor to the company. 

The CSO post at the corporate level has been vacant for years. 

WPP said Shah will work with WPP’s management team and board on developing a strategic plan for competing effectively and achieving long-term growth, including assessing emerging technologies, new capabilities and innovative client work. 

“I'm excited to bring AKQA’s frontier perspective to a broader role and help WPP build what will matter most for our clients in the years ahead,” stated Shah.