Kyndryl and WPP expand strategic partnership with AI-powered enterprise transformation deal

Kyndryl and WPP Redefine Traditional Business Relationships

Kyndryl and WPP have announced a significantly expanded strategic partnership that transforms their traditional customer-supplier relationship into a mutual growth model focused on enterprise transformation1

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. The deal centers on three core pillars: transforming WPP's business platforms and support model, establishing WPP as Kyndryl's preferred marketing partner, and launching joint go-to-market innovation initiatives to accelerate customer growth through modernization.

"This partnership redefines the traditional customer-supplier relationship," said Dominic Shine, Chief Information Officer of WPP. "Kyndryl will help WPP accelerate enterprise transformation through AI-enabled operations, platform modernization and a simpler technology landscape, while WPP will support Kyndryl's growth through an expanded marketing partnership and joint go-to-market innovation."1

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The companies are investing in each other's success through shared outcomes, trust and long-term value creation.

AI-Enabled Modernization Through Agentic AI Framework

At the technical core of this enterprise transformation sits the Agentic AI Framework, which Kyndryl will deploy across WPP's technology operations to modernize the holding company's application estate2

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. This framework promises intelligent support operations, faster issue resolution, and reduced technical complexity. The initiative directly supports WPP's Elevate28 strategy, which aims to modernize its enterprise technology environment to become a simpler, more integrated AI-powered company1

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The new operating model consolidates workplace, cloud, infrastructure and enterprise services under a common, automated operating model. By retiring legacy applications and accelerating adoption of strategic enterprise platforms, WPP expects to realize cost savings and efficiencies over time2

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. A portion of these savings will be reinvested into projects delivering further IT simplification, productivity and operational benefits, enhanced by Kyndryl Bridge, an AI-powered, open-integration digital business platform designed to integrate, observe and orchestrate across WPP's entire technology environment1

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Marketing Growth and WPP's Expanded Role

Kyndryl has named WPP as its preferred global marketing partner, significantly expanding their existing relationship beyond media buying, brand development, and creative strategy2

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. The expanded remit now encompasses a broader portfolio of high-value digital, experiential, and integrated marketing capabilities. WPP will enable an AI-powered Marketing Operating System built on WPP Open, WPP's pioneering agentic marketing platform1

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This expanded partnership across enterprise technology, go-to-market, and marketing creates what both companies describe as a powerful platform for innovation, growth, and business transformation. Jonathan Ingram, President of Kyndryl UKI, emphasized that "by combining enterprise modernization, AI-enabled operations and customer growth capabilities, we are creating a blueprint that helps WPP transform and innovate faster to drive meaningful outcomes."1

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Strengthened Joint Go-to-Market Initiatives Drive Customer Growth

Kyndryl Consult and WPP Enterprise Solutions (previously VML Enterprise Solutions) will continue strengthening joint go-to-market efforts, building on initiatives previously announced in 20251

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. These efforts aim to drive client growth through modernization and core business transformation by reimagining how customers engage with brands through AI-powered solutions, data and emerging technology2

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The partnership model demonstrates how two enterprise giants can unlock new sources of joint value and shared outcomes through mutual investment rather than traditional transactional relationships. Watch for how this blueprint influences other enterprise partnerships as companies seek deeper integration with technology providers to accelerate their AI transformation journeys while maintaining operational flexibility.