Chief Learning and Development Officer

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands.&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth.&nbsp;</strong><br><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br><strong>We have been building the world's most valuable brands for 50 years and have global reach across 100+ markets, with deep local expertise.</strong><br><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br><strong>Our people are the key to our success. We're committed to fostering a culture of creativity, belonging and continuous learning, attracting and developing the brightest talent, and providing exciting career opportunities that help our people grow.&nbsp;</strong><br><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br><strong>For more information, visit <a href="https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwpp.com%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CErica.Durr%40wpp.com%7C9bf4566a65bc46a48ac008de749116ea%7C150b5e663d884dee83f6ed149b727a00%7C0%7C0%7C639076363668176216%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Q9juosud56XGLThSFZ1NpPZd6FXpJPxV74OeRZWoh%2B4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">WPP.com.</a></strong><br><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p></div><p class="p1">THE OPPORTUNITY</p> <p class="p2">WPP is in the midst of the most consequential transformation in its history. Under CEO Cindy Rose, the</p> <p class="p2">three-year Elevate28 strategy is rewiring the company around four priorities: AI-powered creativity, a</p> <p class="p2">simplified operating model, a sharper client experience, and a high-performance culture. Mark Taylor joins</p> <p class="p2">as Chief People Officer in that context — and one of his first, most strategic hires is the leader who will</p> <p class="p2">design the capability engine that makes Elevate28 real for our people.</p> <p class="p2">The Chief Learning &amp; Development Officer (CLDO) will build and lead WPP's global learning function end-</p> <p class="p2">to-end: enterprise-wide sales and client capability, leadership development, AI and craft skilling, and the</p> <p class="p2">learning culture that holds it all together. This is not a traditional L&amp;D remit. It is a commercial mandate —</p> <p class="p2">build the capabilities that reshape how WPP wins, keeps and grows clients, and make learning one of the</p> <p class="p2">most visible signals that WPP is the best place in the industry to build a career.</p> <p class="p2">&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">WHY THIS ROLE, NOW</p> <p class="p2">Our clients are buying differently. The pitch is no longer a deck — it is a point of view, backed by data, co-</p> <p class="p2">authored with AI, and brought to life by people who can sit in the C-suite and talk about the client's</p> <p class="p2">business, not ours. Across WPP's 30+ agency brands, thousands of client-facing leaders need a sharper,</p> <p class="p2">more consistent commercial playbook: consultative selling, executive presence, sector fluency, and the</p> <p class="p2">confidence to lead transformational conversations with CMOs, CFOs and CEOs.</p> <p class="p2">At the same time, AI is re-shaping every craft we sell. The CLDO will own the strategy that turns AI anxiety</p> <p class="p2">into AI fluency — across creative, media, production, technology and client leadership — and will do so</p> <p class="p2">in partnership with agency CEOs, the COO, the Chief Transformation Officer, and the Chief Technology</p> <p class="p2">Officer.</p> <p class="p1">Make WPP the best place to build a career in our industry.<span class="s1"> — Cindy Rose, CEO,</span></p> <p class="p1">&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1">WHAT YOU WILL OWN</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">• </span><span class="s2"><strong>Enterprise sales capability. </strong></span>Design and scale a global commercial academy that lifts the</p> <p class="p2">consultative selling, C-suite engagement, negotiation and business-acumen muscle of several</p> <p class="p2">thousand client-facing leaders across the WPP network — with measurable impact on pitch win</p> <p class="p2">rates, organic growth and client tenure.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">• </span><span class="s2"><strong>Leadership development. </strong></span>Own the curriculum that develops WPP's leaders from first-time people</p> <p class="p2">managers through to agency CEOs, anchored in our six leadership dimensions. Partner with the</p> <p class="p2">CPO on succession, high-potential programmes and executive coaching architecture.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">• </span><span class="s2"><strong>AI fluency at scale. </strong></span>Build the learning strategy that makes AI a core capability for every role —</p> <p class="p2">from creative teams using generative tools to leaders making capital-allocation decisions about AI</p> <p class="p2">bets. Partner with the Chief AI Officer and agency leaders to make fluency practical, not</p> <p class="p2">theoretical.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">• </span><span class="s2"><strong>Craft, client &amp; sector mastery. </strong></span>Codify and scale the craft expertise — creative, media, production,</p> <p class="p2">data, technology — and the sector fluency (CPG, retail, financial services, tech, pharma) that</p> <p class="p2">differentiates WPP in the pitch room and the boardroom.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">• </span><span class="s2"><strong>Learning culture &amp; infrastructure. </strong></span>Rebuild the global learning ecosystem: platforms, content</p> <p class="p2">strategy, coaching practice, measurement, and the governance that connects every programme to</p> <p class="p2">a business outcome. Move WPP from training-as-events to learning-as-a-continuous-capability-</p> <p class="p2">advantage.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1">• </span><span class="s2"><strong>Team &amp; operating model. </strong></span>Lead a global L&amp;D organisation distributed across regions and agency</p> <p class="p2">brands. Build a high-performing team, set the operating model, and run the function with the</p> <p class="p2">commercial rigour of a P&amp;L.</p> <p class="p1">THE CANDIDATE</p> <p class="p2">We are looking for a senior learning leader with the credibility, scale and commercial instinct to operate as</p> <p class="p2">a genuine peer to the C-suite. The ideal candidate has built enterprise sales and leadership capability at</p> <p class="p2">global scale — most likely inside a multinational tech, professional services, consumer or consulting</p> <p class="p2">business where learning is treated as a strategic lever, not a back-office function.</p> <p class="p3"><span class="s1">• </span><strong>Enterprise scale. </strong><span class="s2">leader.</span></p> <p class="p2">You have led a learning organisation supporting tens of thousands of employees</p> <p class="p2">across multiple geographies, and you are comfortable operating as a CVP-, SVP- or CLO-level</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s3">• </span><span class="s4"><strong>Commercial capability-building. </strong></span>You have built, measured and scaled consultative selling, client</p> <p class="p2">engagement and C-suite-readiness programmes that changed seller behaviour and moved</p> <p class="p2">commercial KPIs — win rates, deal size, client retention, organic growth.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s3">• </span><span class="s4"><strong>AI-native learning leader. </strong></span>You are not just teaching AI; you are using AI to re-engineer learning</p> <p class="p2">itself — adaptive paths, AI coaching, simulation, measurement. Candidates who bring recent,</p> <p class="p2">tangible experience shipping AI-powered learning at scale will stand out.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s3">• </span><span class="s4"><strong>Executive gravitas. </strong></span>You earn the trust of CEOs, CROs, CFOs and agency leaders. You can influence</p> <p class="p2">a boardroom conversation about capability investment as credibly as you can design a coaching</p> <p class="p2">conversation for a first-time manager.</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s3">• </span><span class="s4"><strong>Talent magnet &amp; culture builder. </strong></span>You attract exceptional L&amp;D talent and build teams that clients,</p> <p class="p2">employees and leaders describe as indispensable. You treat psychological safety and high</p> <p class="p2">performance as two sides of the same coin.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Who you are:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>You're open<em>:</em> </strong>We are inclusive and collaborative; we encourage the free exchange of ideas; we respect and celebrate diverse views. We are open-minded: to new ideas, new partnerships, new ways of working.</p> <p><strong>You're optimistic<em>:</em></strong> <span id="628d56ad5d8a35dab853e65d9daa237c" class="editor-module-hl-green-solid">We believe</span> in the power of creativity, technology and talent to create brighter futures or our people, our clients and our communities. We approach all that we do with conviction: to try the new and to seek the unexpected.</p> <p><strong>You're extraordinary:</strong> We are stronger together: through collaboration we achieve the amazing. We are creative leaders and pioneers of our industry; we provide extraordinary every day.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>What we'll give you:</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Passionate, inspired people</strong> – We aim to create a culture in which people can do extraordinary work</p> <p><strong>Scale and opportunity</strong> – We offer the opportunity to create, influence and complete projects at a scale that is unparalleled in the industry.</p> <p><strong>Challenging and stimulating work</strong> – Unique work and the opportunity to join a group of creative problem solvers. Are you up for the challenge?</p> <p><span style="color: rgb(236, 240, 241);">#LI-Hybrid&nbsp;</span></p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, go to <a href="https://mybenefits.wpp.com/public/welcome">https://mybenefits.wpp.com/public/welcome</a>&nbsp;for more details.&nbsp;</span></p></div><div class="title">.</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$325,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$400,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p><strong>We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office around four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.</strong></p> <p><strong>WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.</strong></p> <h4><strong>Please read our Privacy Notice (<a href="https://www.wpp.com/en/careers/wpp-privacy-policy-for-recruitment">https://www.wpp.com/en/careers/wpp-privacy-policy-for-recruitment</a>) for more information on how we process the information you provide.</strong></h4></div>