Mark read

Birthday: November 19, 1966

Hometown: London, United Kingdom

Primary residence: London

Current role: CEO (and shareholder) of WPP (2018-September 2025)

Net worth/salary: at least $6.5 million

Education: 

• MA in economics from Trinity College, University of Cambridge (1985-1988)

• MBA from INSEAD (1993-1993)

• Henry Fellowship from Harvard University (1988-1989)

Board memberships, affiliations, and roles (WealthX):

• Member of the World Economic Forum

• Trustee for the Paley Center for Media

• Trustee for the Natural History Museum Development Trust

• Fellow at Harvard University

• Chairman for Natural History Museum Digital Council 

• Board member for Highco

• Board member for Chi & Partners  

Past roles (WealthX): 

• Advisory Board member at the British American Business (BAB) (2020-2023)

• CEO of Wunderman (2015-2018)

• WPP

  • COO (April 2018-Sept 2018)

  • Board member (2006-2015)

  • Director of Strategy (2002-2012)

  • Corporate Development Manager (1989-1995)

• CEO of WPP Digital (2006-2015) 

• Director of The & Partnership London (2007-2015)

• Representative at High Company (2004-2011)

• Joint CEO & Founder of WebRewards (1999-2001)

• Principal, Media and Entertainment Practice at Booz & Company (1995-1999)

• Executive at Ogilvy & Mather

• Executive at the Royal Bank of Scotland International (RBS International)

• Executive at Hill+Knowlton Strategies

• Mark Read is the former CEO of WPP (as of Sept. 1, 2025), a large advertising company with more oil & gas clients than any other PR firm in the world. Some of WPP’s 79 oil & gas clients include BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, and Chevron; 5 of the company’s clients are featured in the world’s top 10 list of polluters. WPP has been dubbed as the “chief propagandist for some of the most polluting corporations on the planet.”

Greenwashing

• WP’s work with its fossil fuel clients has resulted in the publishing of numerous misleading advertisements, which have been pinpointed as examples of greenwashing.

• Shell’s “Cleaner Energy” Campaign

  • WPP’s agency Wunderman Thompson (now VML) published ads for Shell’s “Cleaner Energy” campaign, which were banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in 2023 due to greenwashing.

• BP’s “Possibilities Everywhere” Campaign

  • BP hired Ogilvy, a subsidiary of WP, for their “Possibilities Everywhere” campaign. Some ads featured text that said “We see possibilities in natural gas, the smart partner to renewables” and “We’re working to make energy cleaner”, but it was found that over 96% of BP’s annual budget was spent on oil and gas. In 2019, WP’s ad campaign was reported to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for greenwashing by ClientEarth.

• Chevron’s “Human Energy” Campaign

  • WPP’s agency Wavemaker launched the “Human Energy” ad campaign for Chevron in 2021. During the campaign, Chevron placed a misleading emphasis on its carbon reduction plans, stating that it was lowering the carbon emissions of its operations, “investing in lower-carbon technologies and exploring renewable fuels of the future”, all whilst reportedly planning to spend 97% of its annual spending on fossil fuels until 2028.

Mark Read has profited heavily from WPP’s large number of fossil fuel clients and polluters. 

Salary

• Mark Read earned £4.5M (or $5.9M) in 2023, which was 33% less than what he earned in 2022, where he earned £6.7M (or $8.9M) in pay and bonuses. 

• WealthX estimates Read’s wealth at over $6 million (September 2025)

Awards and Recognition

• In 2025, WPP was announced as the Creative Company of the year at Cannes Lions

• In 2024, Mark Read was recognized in King Charles’ New Year Honor List, making him a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)

• In 2022, Read was appointed by the UK Prime Minister to the Natural History Museum’s Board of Trustees

• In 2021, Mark Read was made Fellow of the IPA for his work in the PR industry.

• Read was featured on INvolve’s Empower Advocate Role Model List from 2021-2023 due to his $30M pledge to support racial diversity programs

• In 2019, Mark Read was acknowledged by Econsultancy’s Top 100 Digital Agencies report as the Industry’s Most Influential Person of the year

• Mark Read earned the Digital Individual of the year award in 2015 and 2017

• Mark Read is the ex-CEO of WPP (2018-2025), an international public relations firm with many clients in the fossil fuel industry. The company releases sustainability reports annually, which outlines their sustainability strategy as one that will “maximise our positive impact on the planet.” In the company’s 2022 annual report, they acknowledged that there is “increased reputational risk” associated with working with fossil fuel clients. Although the company details its emissions in its annual reports, some groups have filed a complaint to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) against WPP and have argued that the company should disclose their “advertised emissions”, or the emissions produced by their fossil fuel clients. 

• According to the company’s climate policy, WPP pledges to “not take on any client work, including lobbying, designed to frustrate the objectives of the Paris Agreement.”

• In April 2021, WPP pledged that its operations and supply chain would reach net zero emissions by 2030. Despite WPP’s acknowledged reputational risk and net zero pledge, the company continues to hold contracts with clients in the fossil fuel industry and to promote their interests. 

There are many activist organizations and non profits that are pushing back against Mark Read and WPP’s work. 

• In June 2025, climate activists from Cut the Ties to Fossil Fuels occupied WPP’s headquarters and demanded that it cut off ties with its long list of fossil fuel clients. Activists held a banner stating “WPP are Climate Criminals, Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising.”

• The New Weather Institute reported WPP to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), arguing that their work for fossil fuel clients “directly increases demand for carbon-intensive products and undermines global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Clean Creatives

• Clean Creatives, a project that seeks to create a space for PR and ad professionals to promote a “safe climate future”, has released multiple reports on WPP’s strong ties within the fossil fuel industry. The project published a “fact sheet” of Wavemaker’s, a subsidiary of WPP, misleading ads for Chevron. 

• Clean Creatives released a video in 2021 mocking WPP’s net zero pledge, mirroring a video created to promote WPP’s pledge. The project called WPP’s net zero pledge “another empty promise that doesn’t include a pledge to stop promoting fossil fuel companies.” 

• WPP was featured on Clean Creatives’ report called “the F-List 2024: the Mad Men Fueling the Madness”, highlighting the company’s 79 contracts with fossil fuel clients from 2023-2024 and their greenwashing efforts. 

From WPP’s 2022 sustainability report:

• “We all need to play our part in tackling the climate crisis, and at WPP we’re committed to accelerating change across our industry.”

• “We will not undertake work that is intended or designed to mislead or deceive.” 

• “We believe it is essential that the communications of energy companies are truthful, fair and accurate.” 

• “Our policy is not to take on any client work, including lobbying, designed to frustrate the objectives of the Paris Agreement.” 

Government ties 

• In 2022, Mark Read was appointed by the Prime Minister to be a Trustee of the Natural History Museum. The term began on June 1st, 2022 and will last until May 31st, 2026. 

PR firms 

• Mark Read is the former CEO of WPP, an international public relations, marketing, and advertising firm. WPP is the parent agency to groups like Ogilvy, VML, AKQA, and Grey. During Read’s time at WPP, the company earned its reputation as being the advertising company with the largest list of fossil fuel clients. From 2023-2024, WPP served 79 oil and gas clients, which is a rise from the 55 oil and gas clients they served between 2022-2023.

• See the “What are their crimes against the Earth? Who are the victims?” section to learn more about Read and WPP’s crimes. 

Lobbying

WPP PLC Lobbying in 2022

• Total lobbying expenditures: $30,000

• Hired Firm: Prime Policy Group

  • Lobbyist Cassie Daugherty

WPP PLC Lobbying in 2018 (Read’s first year as CEO)

• Total lobbying expenditures: $510,000

• Hired Firms:

  • American Defense International: $60,000

  • Ernst & Young: $10,000

    • Lobbyist: Sean Hailey

      • Lobbied for ExxonMobil

  • McKeon Group: $420,000

    • Lobbyist: Buck McKeon

      • Former Representative for California (R)

        • LCV Lifetime Environmental Score: 7%

      • Lobbied for Lockheed Martin

Lobbying of WPP Subsidiaries

BCW Global Lobbying in 2020

• Total lobbying expenditures: $27,000

• Hired firm:

  • Surescripts

  • Lobbyist: Emily Katz

    • Former employee of Senator Barbara Boxer (D)

Kantar Group Lobbying in 2023

• Total lobbying expenditures: $200,000

• Hired firm: Atlas Crossing

  • Notable Lobbyists:

    • Christopher W Eddowes

      • Former Senior Policy Advisor to Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R)

        • LCV Lifetime Environmental Score: 6%

    • Sean Joyce

      • Former Chief of Staff for Rep. Patrick McHenry (R) and Legislative Director for Rep. Bill Shuster (R)

      • Rep. Shuster’s LCV Lifetime Environmental Score: 5%

    • Matthew Mika

      • Former Legislative Assistant to Rep. Dave Camp (R)

        • LCV Lifetime Environmental Score: 9%

    • Alexis Oberg

      • Former Policy Advisory to Rep. Nathan Deal (R)

        • LCV Lifetime Environmental Score: 15%

Think tanks / think tank networks / policy institutes / research centers 

• Mark Read is a member of the World Economic Forum. 

Trade groups / industry associations 

• Mark Read was an Advisory Board member at the British American Business (BAB) (2020-2023).

WPP’s Ties to Industry Associations

• Ogilvy Government Relations, WPP’s subsidiary, was paid over $4.5M by the American Petroleum Institute (API) for services in 2012. API has been ranked by InfluenceMap as “one of the most obstructive industry associations in the world” due to its climate policy. 

• WPP works with the Oil and Gas initiative (OGCI), a coalition of large fossil fuel companies to “promote a climate-friendly image”, according to DeSmog. Some key members of OGCI include Shell, BP, Saudi Aramco, Total, and Repsol. The Initiative has been criticized for greenwashing statements made weeks before annual international climate talks.

• WPP works with the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the largest trade association for the US chemicals industry. The ACC has many members from the fossil fuel industry, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, and BP. ACC’s former head, Jack N. Gerard, left ACC in 2008 to head API until 2018. The ACC has received donations over the years from right-winged conservative groups, some of which having received funding of their own from the Koch Brothers.

Higher education related institutions

• Mark Read is a fellow at Harvard University (WealthX).