Leading Questions with Kelly Parker – WPP Media
Leading Questions
Kelly Parker, chief media officer at WPP Media is next up to face our probing and quick-fire Leading Questions.
Kelly Parker was appointed chief media officer at WPP Media earlier this year, one of the most significant new roles to emerge from the group’s restructure of its former GroupM business.
She served as CEO of Wavemaker UK since 2022, having previously been the agency’s chief operating officer, and before joining WPP held roles at MPG, Havas Media and OMD.
She speaks to The Media Leader about her leadership philosophy, how she’s embracing AI, and what she’d tell her younger self.
Leadership
What are the principles that guide your leadership approach?
The best leaders, in my opinion, are those who demonstrate humility, empower those around them, and create space for others to step up and thrive. My goal is always to make my team feel 10 feet tall and build an environment where they can truly reach their full potential.
I talk a lot about ‘lean-in leadership’, which, at its core, means leading from the centre of a circle rather than the top of a triangle. It’s about knowing when to step forward and make decisions with confidence and clarity, while equally being ready to roll your sleeves up and get in amongst it with the team.
How do you define success as a leader in today’s media landscape?
Success as a leader today is about setting a clear, enduring vision while being flexible in how you get there. We all know that the only constant is change, so while tactics will – and should – shift, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger strategic direction or get caught in constant course correction.
Equally, success is reflected in the strength of your team. In such a fast-moving environment, it’s essential to build trust, provide clarity, and ensure everyone understands both where you’re heading and what’s expected of them. When you have a team that’s on board with your vision and equipped to navigate change, you’re set up to deliver real, lasting impact.
People and Culture
How do you inspire your teams when uncertainty is the norm?
When uncertainty is the norm, honesty and clarity matter more than ever. Be upfront about what you know, what you don’t, and the decisions you’re making to navigate through it. Even if the message is difficult, that’s far better than giving false certainty or causing confusion when the reality contradicts the narrative.
Inspiration doesn’t come from pretending everything’s perfect – it comes from building trust and giving people the confidence to keep moving forward.
How do you handle failure, both personally and within your teams?
Failure is inevitable, and learning from your mistakes is often the fastest way to grow. With personal failure, I sometimes (always) need reminding of that, but with my teams, I encourage it for that very reason.
AI, Innovation and Skills
How is AI changing the way you lead and make decisions?
Fully embracing WPP Open, our AI-powered marketing platform that connects people, data and intelligence, is, without doubt, augmenting my decision-making.
It’s allowing for faster insights around business challenges and opportunities, it’s accelerating how we process data that supports decisions/business cases, and most importantly, it’s helping me shape teams around high-value tasks and creativity on behalf of our clients – allowing for even more effective work at speed and scale.
What’s your advice for aspiring media leaders?
Embrace change fearlessly, stay curious and keep learning.
The Quick-fire Round
Which book would you make required reading for all media leaders?
‘How To Change Your Life: Five Steps to Achieving High Performance’ by Damian Hughes and Jake Humphrey
Which leader from TV, film, or literature most inspires you?
Richard Webber in Grey’s Anatomy – he balances authority with empathy and genuinely invests in developing the people around him
What’s your go-to source for inspiration when you need it — work or otherwise?
‘Show Me Love’ by Robin S on full volume – it does wonders for boosting my mood
Media lunch or media breakfast meeting, and why?
In theory, breakfast meetings are efficient and a great way to start the day. But in reality, I always have so much to say that they inevitably overrun. So, it’s probably kinder to everyone involved to just make it a lunch
Which media leader would you like to answer Leading Questions next?
Starcom UK CEO Katie Lee, obvs!
Leading Questions is published by The Media Leader every Friday.