“I think people are happier when they’re in the office. In our offices, they’re much happier,” Read said drily, igniting laughter in the crowd. 

He added that WPP’s return-to-office mandate was “the right thing to do,” especially amid rapid technological changes facing the industry.

“If we’re going to deal with all of this, we better be together. We’re not going to be able to do it through video screens very easily,” Read said. “Human connectivity and human collaboration are what make all creative companies special.”