WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED
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Cash
£5.5m
+319.7% vs 2024
Net assets
£232m
+1% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
348
-47% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£6.9m
-40.3% lowest in 3 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
1 PSC ceased in last 24 months
Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £165,388,000 | £98,440,000 | £51,277,000 | -47.9% | |
| Operating profit | £24,112,000 | £7,296,000 | £4,216,000 | -42.2% | |
| Profit before tax | £28,960,000 | £11,614,000 | £6,930,000 | -40.3% | |
| Net profit | £29,466,000 | £10,459,000 | £6,579,000 | -37.1% | |
| Cash | £80,289,000 | £1,308,000 | £5,490,000 | +319.7% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £181,372,000 | £231,048,000 | £233,552,000 | +1.1% | |
| Net assets | £181,335,000 | £229,984,000 | £232,358,000 | +1% | |
| Equity | £181,335,000 | £229,984,000 | £232,358,000 | +1% | |
| Average employees | 939 | 656 | 348 | -47% | |
| Wages | £68,400,000 | £51,060,000 | £26,244,000 | -48.6% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £325,000 | £256,000 | £345,000 | +34.8% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £43,000 | £27,000 | £21,000 | -22.2% | |
| Highest paid director | £252,000 | £198,000 | £272,000 | +37.4% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 14.6% | 7.4% | 8.2% | |
| Net margin | 17.8% | 10.6% | 12.8% | |
| Return on capital employed | 13.3% | 3.2% | 1.8% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 46.2% | 25.2% | 10.7% | |
| Current ratio | 1.58x | 2.27x | 3.72x | |
| Interest cover | 10.31x | 2.78x | 4.79x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED 2018-11-05 → present
- YOUNG & RUBICAM GROUP LIMITED 1987-10-15 → 2018-11-05
- YOUNG & RUBICAM HOLDINGS LIMITED 1944-11-02 → 1987-10-15
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“After making enquiries and taking consideration of the forecast and position of the business, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for at least the next 12 months from the date of signing of the financial statements.”
Group structure
- WPP BRANDS (UK) LIMITED · parent
- Ogilvy Health Limited 99.94%
- VML(UK) Limited 100%
- Public Relations and International Sports Marketing Limited 100%
- VMLY&R Health Limited 99.9%
- CCG Creative Communications Limited 32%
- CHI Wunderman UK Limited 50%
Significant events
- “On 1 January 2025, the Company transferred its division operating as BCW to Burson Group Limited for £8,198,971.”
- “On 31 January 2025, the Company transferred its division operating as GCI Health to Burson Group Limited for £17,072,888.”
- “With effect from 1 August 2025, the Company acquired the businesses of Coley Porter Bell Limited, BDG Architecture + Design Limited, and CBA London Limited from fellow group undertakings.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
2 active · 39 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BISHOP, Nicholas David Charles | Director | 2024-05-02 | Mar 1973 | British |
| LIGHTOLLER, Thomas Charles | Director | 2025-09-29 | Nov 1977 | British |
Show 39 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAZUR, Helina | Secretary | 1996-08-14 | 2026-08-31 |
| MCLACHLAN, Eliza Catherine | Secretary | 1995-08-07 | 1996-08-31 |
| MILSOM, Dennis | Secretary | — | 1995-08-20 |
| BORISOV, Tsvetan Kirilov | Director | 2024-03-06 | 2025-09-29 |
| BORISOV, Tsvetan Kirilov | Director | 2018-09-05 | 2021-06-04 |
| BRANIGAN, Craig | Director | 1999-03-01 | 2000-11-22 |
| BUTTER, David Ralph | Director | 1999-03-01 | 2007-10-12 |
| CANNING, Alison | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1996-09-30 |
| COOPER, Russell John | Director | — | 1994-06-10 |
| DAWSON, Sarah Margaret | Director | 2006-01-12 | 2009-09-07 |
| DEO, Joseph Ermengildo De | Director | — | 1993-06-07 |
| DICKENS, Christopher Roger | Director | — | 1995-04-30 |
| FARNELL-WATSON, Peter Arthur | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1998-04-24 |
| FLAHERTY, John Christopher | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1997-07-02 |
| GLADWELL, David Julian | Director | 2015-02-26 | 2022-09-08 |
| GLORIEUX, John | Director | 1995-03-27 | 1996-02-29 |
| GREENE, David Elsworth | Director | 1993-10-08 | 1995-01-16 |
| GRINDALL, David John | Director | 1993-07-16 | 1994-02-14 |
| HIMPE, Stefaan Leo Hilda | Director | 2003-03-06 | 2009-09-18 |
| HOARE, Christopher Henry St John | Director | 1995-03-27 | 1999-11-18 |
| HOOPER, David Michael | Director | 1996-12-31 | 1998-09-30 |
| JUDGE, Jeremy | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1993-12-21 |
| KELLY, Brian James | Director | 1999-03-01 | 2018-02-27 |
| KOPEC, Marta Barbara | Director | 2022-09-08 | 2024-05-02 |
| LANGFORD, Martin Peter Weil | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1994-03-16 |
| LINSDAY, Timophy Thomas | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1993-12-21 |
| MCNULTY, Dermot | Director | 2000-11-22 | 2001-03-30 |
| MEERSTADT, Albertus | Director | 1999-03-01 | 2001-08-10 |
| PAUL, Ian Gary | Director | 2007-10-12 | 2025-09-17 |
| PIENAAR, Mario Morne | Director | 2014-10-27 | 2015-02-27 |
| PINILLA, Ignacio Cabezon | Director | 2009-10-28 | 2024-03-06 |
| PRICE, Elizabeth Jane | Director | 2006-01-12 | 2008-10-17 |
| RIETZ, Kenneth | Director | 1999-03-01 | 2000-11-22 |
| ROUSSET, Alain Maurice Michel | Director | 1999-03-01 | 2003-03-06 |
| SHAW, John William | Director | 1993-11-15 | 1997-12-24 |
| SHORE, Jonathan | Director | 2002-09-25 | 2007-12-31 |
| THELLUSSON, James Hugh | Director | 1995-03-27 | 2001-10-31 |
| THOMAS, Martin Robert | Director | 1995-03-27 | 1999-02-26 |
| WRENCH, Charles Hector | Director | 2000-11-22 | 2006-07-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wpp Brands Development Holdings (Uk) Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2025-12-18 | Active |
| Wpp Brands Holdings (Uk) Ltd | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2025-12-18 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 231 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-09-01 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2026-01-29 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2026-01-28 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2026-01-05 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-12-08 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-09-30 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-09-30 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-09-17 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-12-11 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-09-17 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-06-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-06-11 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-28 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-03-07 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-03-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-12-12 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-10-17 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-04-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-01-09 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 6
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 1
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.