Mentor
Andrea Harris
Overview
Andrea Harris is Group Chief Counsel of WPP plc, the global creative transformation company, and has been a central figure in its evolution for nearly three decades. She is responsible for the Group’s Legal, Business Integrity, Security Assurance, Insurance, and Risk & Resilience functions, and oversees corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, restructurings, employment disputes, data privacy, anti-trust and litigation matters across a complex international footprint. As a member of WPP’s executive management committee and executive sponsor for Sustainability, she plays a key role in shaping both the Group’s strategic direction and its response to the wider expectations of clients, regulators and society.
Andrea joined WPP in 1996 and was appointed Group Chief Counsel in 2005, giving her deep continuity through multiple cycles of structural change, digital disruption and industry consolidation. She is recognised for her ability to balance commercial ambition with rigorous risk management, and for creating an environment in which legal, risk and integrity functions are seen as partners in value creation rather than simply as control mechanisms. Her work has spanned major cross-border transactions, complex regulatory engagements and the continual strengthening of WPP’s governance and compliance framework.
Beyond WPP, Andrea contributes to the wider business and legal community. She is Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the GC100, the association of general counsel and company secretaries of FTSE 100 companies, where she helps shape best practice in governance and board-facing legal leadership. She is also a member of the National Theatre Corporate Advisory Board, reflecting a longstanding interest in the creative and cultural sectors that WPP’s agencies serve
Andrea brings deep cross-sector expertise in:
• Global legal, risk & governance leadership – overseeing legal, integrity, security, insurance and risk functions for a major listed multinational.
• Corporate governance, regulation & transactions – leading on M&A, restructurings, compliance, data privacy, anti-trust and litigation across multiple jurisdictions.
• Executive leadership & sustainability – contributing at executive committee level and sponsoring sustainability as a core element of strategy and stakeholder engagement.
• Professional influence & sector contribution – shaping UK governance and legal practice through GC100 leadership and advising cultural institutions such as the National Theatre.
Andrea is regarded by boards, executives and peers as a trusted, pragmatic adviser who brings clarity to complex issues, combines strategic judgement with strong ethical foundations and supports leadership teams to navigate risk, opportunity and change with confidence. Her impact and influence have been recognised through multiple inclusions in the UK GC Powerlist (2016, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025) and UK GC Powerlist Hall of Fame 2026.
PDF Profile
Download PDFMajor Career Roles
WPP plc
Group Chief Counsel
WPP plc
Executive Committee Member
WPP plc Risk Committee
Chair
Other Career Highlights
Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP
Associate
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