Kyndryl and WPP Expand Strategic Partnership to Drive Enterprise Transformation, Marketing Growth and Joint Go-to-Market Innovation
The joint customer-development efforts build on initiatives previously announced in 2025.
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Rhea-AI Summary
Kyndryl (KD) expanded its agreement with WPP to modernize WPP's technology operations and broaden their marketing and joint customer-development relationship.
WPP will use Kyndryl's Agentic AI Framework, which supports AI-enabled operations, to modernize its applications and support model. The planned operating model brings workplace, cloud, infrastructure and enterprise services together under common automation. Kyndryl also named WPP its preferred global marketing partner, broadening their existing marketing relationship. Kyndryl Consult and WPP Enterprise Solutions plan to strengthen joint efforts to help clients modernize technology and transform core business operations.
Positive
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.WPP's expanded agreement includes using Kyndryl's Agentic AI Framework to modernize applications and support operations.
- Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Kyndryl Consult and WPP Enterprise Solutions plan to strengthen joint customer-development efforts focused on modernization.
Negative
- None.
News Explained
Under the announced expansion, WPP expects cost savings over time from retiring legacy applications and adopting strategic platforms, and says a portion will be reinvested in further IT simplification, productivity and operational benefits.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
WPP to leverage Kyndryl's Agentic AI Framework throughout its operations
Kyndryl names WPP as its preferred global marketing partner
The expanded partnership focuses on three key areas: the transformation of WPP's business platforms and support model, an expanded marketing partnership naming WPP as Kyndryl's preferred global marketing partner, and joint go-to-market initiatives to drive customer growth through modernization and core business transformation.
"This partnership redefines the traditional customer-supplier relationship. Kyndryl will help WPP accelerate enterprise transformation through AI-enabled operations, platform modernisation and a simpler technology landscape, while WPP will support Kyndryl's growth through an expanded marketing partnership and joint go-to-market innovation," said Dominic Shine, Chief Information Officer, WPP. "Together, we are investing in each other's success, creating a relationship built on shared outcomes, trust and long-term value creation."
Business platform transformation for AI-powered modernization
The Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework will be applied to help modernize WPP's application estate with intelligent support operations, faster issue resolution, and reduced technical complexity. This will help enable WPP to provide more flexible technology operations in support of its Elevate28 strategy, which aims to modernize its enterprise technology environment to help it become a simpler, more integrated, AI-powered company.
"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," said Jonathan Ingram, President, Kyndryl UKI. "This is helping us unlock new sources of joint value and shared success."
The new operating model will bring together 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 realise cost savings and efficiencies over time. A portion of these savings will be reinvested into projects which deliver further IT simplification, productivity and operational benefit and, will be further enhanced by the use of Kyndryl Bridge, an AI-powered, open-integration digital business platform to integrate, observe and orchestrate across its entire technology environment.
Global marketing partnership for innovation and growth
Kyndryl has named WPP as its preferred Marketing partner, expanding the existing relationship beyond Media, Brand, and Creative Strategy to encompass a broader portfolio of high-value digital, experiential, and integrated marketing capabilities, alongside the enablement of an AI-powered Marketing Operating System built on WPP Open, WPP's pioneering agentic marketing platform. This expanded partnership across Enterprise Technology, Go-to-Market, and Marketing creates a powerful platform for innovation, growth, and business transformation for both WPP and Kyndryl.
Strengthened joint Go-to-Market initiatives
Kyndryl Consult and WPP Enterprise Solutions (previously VML Enterprise Solutions) will also continue to strengthen joint go-to-market efforts, previously announced in 2025, to drive client growth through modernization and core business transformation by reimagining how customers engage with brands through the power of AI, data and emerging technology.
About Kyndryl
Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is a leading provider of mission-critical enterprise technology services, offering advisory, implementation and managed service capabilities to thousands of customers in more than 60 countries. As the world's largest IT infrastructure services provider, the company designs, builds, manages and modernizes the complex information systems that the world depends on every day. For more information, visit www.kyndryl.com.
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world's leading brands. The company unites cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and its agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit wpp.com.
Kyndryl press contact
press@kyndryl.com
Forward-Looking Statements
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SOURCE Kyndryl
FAQ
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What does Kyndryl's expanded partnership with WPP cover?
The agreement covers WPP's technology modernization, an expanded marketing relationship and joint customer-development efforts. WPP will use Kyndryl's Agentic AI Framework, while Kyndryl has named WPP its preferred global marketing partner.