WPP MEDIA UK LIMITED
Formerly known as GroupM UK Ltd, the company serves as the UK media investment management arm of the LSE-listed communications group WPP plc, overseeing major agency networks including EssenceMediacom, Mindshare, and Wavemaker.
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Cash
£7k
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£187m
+37.1% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
2,285
+41.4% highest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£49m
+78.9% highest in 3 filed years
Watch the reel
Our short-form breakdown of WPP MEDIA UK LIMITED's latest filing
WPP Media UK just posted a massive year, with turnover climbing 57% to nearly £800m. Here's a look inside the numbers. 📊
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 | £317,294,000 | £498,197,000 | £783,842,000 | +57.3% | |
| Operating profit | £33,212,000 | £29,115,000 | £52,292,000 | +79.6% | |
| Profit before tax | £33,079,000 | £27,620,000 | £49,403,000 | +78.9% | |
| Net profit | £33,095,000 | £27,418,000 | £48,691,000 | +77.6% | |
| Cash | — | — | £7,000 | — | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £107,902,000 | £136,683,000 | £187,453,000 | +37.1% | |
| Net assets | £107,902,000 | £136,683,000 | £187,453,000 | +37.1% | |
| Equity | £107,902,000 | £136,683,000 | £187,453,000 | +37.1% | |
| Average employees | 1,123 | 1,616 | 2,285 | +41.4% | |
| Wages | £58,084,000 | £104,508,000 | £154,171,000 | +47.5% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £804,000 | £1,741,000 | £859,000 | -50.7% |
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 | 10.5% | 5.8% | 6.7% | |
| Net margin | 10.4% | 5.5% | 6.2% | |
| Return on capital employed | 30.8% | 21.3% | 27.9% | |
| Current ratio | 1.48x | 1.32x | 1.30x | |
| Interest cover | 3.75x | 1.79x | 2.26x |
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 — the current trading name was adopted 2025-08-11
- WPP MEDIA UK LIMITED 2025-08-11 → present
- GROUPM UK LTD 2006-07-17 → 2025-08-11
- GROUP M LIMITED 2003-04-16 → 2006-07-17
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, 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 the financial statements. Additionally, the Company is a subsidiary of WPP plc and participates in the overall WPP plc financing arrangements via the cash pooling arrangements. The conditions of these cash pooling arrangements, which are described in note 13, and these forecasts and projections were considered by the Directors when assessing the appropriateness of the going concern basis of the Company. The Directors therefore continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.”
Group structure
- WPP MEDIA UK LIMITED · parent
- GroupM UK Digital Limited 100%
- WPP Media FZ-LLC 100%
- WPP Media Doha LLC 100%
- GroupM Egypt LLC 100%
- Wavemaker LLC 100%
Significant events
- “On 1 January 2025, the Company acquired the trade and assets of Finecast Limited for a consideration of £1 and the trade and assets of GroupM UK Digital Limited for £14,384,000.”
- “On 9 March 2026 the Company received a dividend of £215,685,000 from its subsidiary GroupM UK Digital Limited. The dividend was offset against the balance owed by the Company to GroupM UK Digital Limited.”
- “On 1 April 2026 the Company acquired the trade and assets of Code Computer Love Limited for a consideration of £602,000.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 27 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPP GROUP (NOMINEES) LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 2005-09-19 | — | — |
| NICHOLS, Michael John | Director | 2024-06-12 | Mar 1985 | British |
| ROWLINSON, Kate | Director | 2025-05-12 | Nov 1971 | British |
Show 27 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| CALOW, David Ferguson | Secretary | 2003-07-18 | 2005-09-19 |
| HAMMONDS SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 2003-04-16 | 2003-07-18 |
| ALLAN, Stephen David | Director | 2006-07-11 | 2008-12-01 |
| BARLOW, Colin | Director | 2005-09-09 | 2024-02-06 |
| BLACKETT, Karen | Director | 2020-09-28 | 2022-09-12 |
| BORNMAN, Niel | Director | 2022-09-01 | 2023-06-09 |
| BRYAN, David John | Director | 2008-12-01 | 2019-06-27 |
| CLARK, Scott Michael | Director | 2022-11-01 | 2024-04-23 |
| COLLINS, Mark | Director | 2006-07-11 | 2025-03-22 |
| DAY, Rupert | Director | 2004-10-27 | 2005-07-11 |
| DE CRUZ, Adrian | Director | 2005-09-09 | 2006-07-11 |
| ENGLEBRIGHT, Drew | Director | 2016-05-09 | 2018-02-28 |
| FRIJNS, Charlotte Sabine Muriel | Director | 2019-06-25 | 2021-11-25 |
| GEORGE, Tom | Director | 2018-05-14 | 2020-03-27 |
| GOODMAN, Steven Barry | Director | 2006-07-11 | 2019-09-30 |
| GRAINGER, Dominic Charles | Director | 2011-04-19 | 2020-05-29 |
| KRICHEFSKI, Josh | Director | 2023-01-30 | 2025-03-18 |
| KYFFIN, David Thomas | Director | 2006-07-11 | 2009-04-01 |
| MANGWENDE, Netsai | Director | 2021-11-25 | 2022-09-04 |
| MOWER, Paul | Director | 2020-09-28 | 2022-10-25 |
| RICHARDSON, Paul Winston George | Director | 2003-07-18 | 2006-07-21 |
| SINGER, Darren David | Director | 2008-06-01 | 2011-03-25 |
| SWEETLAND, Christopher Paul | Director | 2010-12-17 | 2010-12-23 |
| SWEETLAND, Christopher Paul, Dr | Director | 2003-07-18 | 2006-07-21 |
| THEAKSTONE, Nicholas | Director | 2006-07-11 | 2020-10-13 |
| TRAY, Simon Laurence | Director | 2006-07-11 | 2008-12-01 |
| HAMMONDS DIRECTORS LIMITED | Corporate Director | 2003-04-16 | 2003-07-18 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wpp Group Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2023-06-02 | Active |
| Wpp Groupm Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100% | 2017-08-31 | Ceased 2023-06-02 |
| Wpp Group (Uk) Ltd | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2017-08-31 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 122 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2025-08-11 CERTNM Certificate change of name company PDF
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-06 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-05-01 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-09-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-08-11 | CERTNM | change-of-name | Certificate change of name company | |
| 2025-05-13 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-05-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-04-10 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-04-10 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-09-03 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-06-19 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-05-03 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-05-03 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-05-03 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-05-03 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-04-22 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-06 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-12-20 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-09-12 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-06-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-06-21 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 4
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
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.