What's happened
As of mid-July 2025, Diageo's CEO Debra Crew has stepped down by mutual agreement after two challenging years, with CFO Nik Jhangiani acting as interim CEO. WPP appointed Microsoft executive Cindy Rose as CEO starting September 1, aiming to navigate AI-driven industry shifts amid recent profit warnings. Apple prepares for COO Jeff Williams' retirement later this year, naming Sabih Khan as his successor, while CEO Tim Cook remains firmly in control.
What's behind the headline?
Leadership Transitions Reflect Industry Pressures
The recent CEO changes at Diageo, WPP, and Apple underscore the intense pressures facing large corporations amid economic uncertainty and technological disruption. Diageo's departure of Debra Crew after only two years signals the difficulty of steering a traditional consumer goods giant through tariff impacts and regional sales declines. The appointment of CFO Nik Jhangiani as interim CEO suggests a cautious, financially focused interim approach.
WPP's selection of Cindy Rose, a tech-savvy executive from Microsoft, highlights the advertising industry's urgent need to adapt to AI-driven transformation. Her background in digital enterprise and AI positions WPP to pivot from traditional media services toward technology-enabled marketing solutions. This move is critical as WPP faces client attrition and a profit warning, reflecting broader challenges in the ad sector.
Apple's leadership shuffle, with Jeff Williams retiring and Sabih Khan stepping in as COO, maintains continuity during a period of product innovation challenges and AI lagging behind competitors. Tim Cook's continued leadership, despite the aging executive team, indicates board confidence in his stewardship. However, the lack of a clear CEO successor beyond Khan, who lacks Cook's breadth, suggests potential future succession challenges.
Broader Implications
- These leadership changes reveal how companies are responding differently to AI and market pressures: Diageo with financial caution, WPP with strategic tech infusion, and Apple with steady internal succession.
- The transitions will impact shareholder confidence, operational strategies, and competitive positioning in their respective sectors.
- For investors and industry watchers, these moves signal a critical juncture where adaptability to AI and economic headwinds will determine corporate resilience.
What to Watch Next
- Diageo's interim leadership and search for a permanent CEO will be pivotal in stabilizing growth.
- WPP's execution of AI integration under Cindy Rose will test the company's ability to reclaim lost clients and market share.
- Apple's innovation trajectory under Cook and Khan will be closely monitored for signs of renewed product leadership or further stagnation.
What the papers say
Anna Wise in The Independent provides a detailed account of Debra Crew's departure from Diageo, noting the company's first sales drop in four years and the impact of new US tariffs costing around $150 million annually. She highlights Crew's background and the company's cost-saving initiatives amid a halving share price. Mark Sweney in The Guardian and Lara O'Reilly in Business Insider UK focus on Cindy Rose's appointment at WPP, emphasizing her tech and AI expertise from Microsoft and her potential to lead WPP through digital transformation. Sweney notes WPP's recent profit warning and client losses to rivals like Publicis, while O'Reilly underscores Rose's fresh perspective and legal background as assets. Ariel Zilber in the NY Post and multiple Bloomberg reports cover Apple's leadership changes, detailing Jeff Williams' retirement and Sabih Khan's rise to COO. They describe Williams' key role in Apple's supply chain and health initiatives, and Khan's extensive tenure and strategic importance. The coverage collectively paints a picture of Apple maintaining stability amid internal shifts, with Cook's leadership remaining central. These sources together illustrate a landscape of corporate leadership adapting to economic and technological challenges, with each company taking distinct approaches based on their sector and internal dynamics.
How we got here
Diageo faced sales declines and tariff challenges under Debra Crew's leadership, prompting her departure. WPP struggled with client losses and AI disruption, leading to Mark Read's exit and Cindy Rose's appointment. Apple is undergoing a leadership transition as COO Jeff Williams retires, with Sabih Khan set to take over, maintaining stability under CEO Tim Cook.
Go deeper
- What challenges led to Debra Crew's departure from Diageo?
- How will Cindy Rose's tech background influence WPP's future?
- What impact will Jeff Williams' retirement have on Apple's operations?
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Who Are the New CEOs at WPP, Apple, and Diageo?
Major leadership changes are shaking up some of the world's biggest companies in 2025. WPP has appointed Cindy Rose as its new CEO, Apple is preparing for COO Jeff Williams' retirement with Sabih Khan stepping in, and Diageo's CEO Alison Crew has stepped down amid financial challenges. These shifts raise questions about what’s next for these giants and how these changes could impact investors, employees, and the future of these companies. Below, we explore the key details and what they mean for you.
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More on these topics
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Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.
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Timothy Donald Cook is an American business executive, philanthropist and industrial engineer. Cook is the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., and previously served as the company's chief operating officer under its cofounder Steve Jobs.
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The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Cindy Helen Rose OBE is an American-British businesswoman, and the President of Microsoft Western Europe.
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Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services.
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WPP is a British multinational communications, advertising, public relations, technology, and commerce holding company headquartered in London, England. It is considered the world's largest advertising company, as of 2019.
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Debra Ann Crew is an American business executive, who was the chief executive of Diageo from 2023 to 2025. She is a non-executive board member of Mondelez International, and the former chief executive of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
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Diageo plc is a British multinational beverage alcohol company, with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. They operate in more than 180 countries and produce in more than 140 sites around the world.
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Hugging Face, Inc. is an American company incorporated under the Delaware General Corporation Law and based in New York City that develops computation tools for building applications using machine learning.