A Revolving Door

Ok. John Rogers leaves Sainsbury’s Argos as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and becomes Chief Finance Officer (CFO) of advertising giant WPP:

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-10-02/wpp-s-mark-read-adds-new-cfo-for-post-sorrell-era

WPP stands for Wire and Plastics Products, and is linked to Sir Martin Sorrell who helped form the company:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Sorrell

In case we are in any doubt as to who’s involved here and where the money goes then check out Sir Martin’s business correspondence address – 12 St. James’s Place in Saint James’s Square in London:

https://companycheck.co.uk/director/910157654/SIR-MARTIN-STUART-SORRELL/summary

https://www.sjp.co.uk/about-us/our-heritage

https://images.app.goo.gl/2AuLCyH1BcfkxBhF9

In June 2000, Halifax Group plc acquired 60% of the issued share capital of St. James’s Place. Halifax merged with the Bank of Scotland in September 2001 to create HBoS plc. In October, the company changed its name from J. Rothschild Assurance to St. James’s Place.

Think of it like a Monopoly Board where one family own every square, house, hotel, water board and electricity firm on the board. They even own the Bank!

Talking of Board, this is the one for WPP as it is showing on their company website (soon to be updated to include John Rogers, of course):

https://www.wpp.com/About/Our-leadership/The-WPP-Board/

Before we even delve into the comings and goings of the Directors the company takes us straight into 1 Mitchell Lane in Bristol, a well known boiler room used primarily for moving dirty money to be laundered :

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02670617/officers

If you look at Two Circles (one of their subsidiary companies) we see it linked to a known octogenarian lady from Finchley:

https://opengovuk.com/company/07753583

Let’s have a look at WPP’s Board in more detail, starting with the Chairman – Roberto Quarta.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/4D1VQUwbc4TQscNC-_BSqM9LdR4/appointments

Well, via Smith & Nephew Roberto Quarta is linked to ex Conservative MP Baroness Virginia Bottomley (married to Sir Peter Bottomley, another former Tory Party MP)

https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/baroness-bottomley-of-nettlestone/106

Quarta is also linked to Angie Risley who has worked with John Rogers at Sainsbury’s as the HR Director there. She has also had stints at Lloyds Banking Group and Whitbread:

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00324357/officers

Meanwhile, Swiss Non-Exec Director Jacques Aigrain is linked to non other than the London Stock Exchange itself:

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05369106/officers

And then there is Sir John Hood who is a Co-Director with Sir Victor Blank, the former Chairman of Lloyds TSB :

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10318633/officers

Who is connected with 27 St. James’s Place, St. James’s Square with you know who…

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/TntnbnTksdg1ZiyRc7d55t6BVLQ/appointments

http://www.sirvictorblank.co.uk/personal-life/

Sirs Hood and Blank are also connected to
Sir Bruce Dugald Macphail who is connected to Ingenious Film Partners, a tax avoiding front company that David Beckham has used which the HMRC have been investigating for months.

https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/Ju_f-pyc5JZlxeNwhYyoF8iGmx8/appointments

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/04/beckham-backed-film-funding-firm-to-begin-appeal-against-hmrc

Do you see where this is going?

#FollowTheMoney