Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
GroupM
FAIL
groupm.com
TYPE: Media Investment Company of WPP, plc, Holding Company
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: BlackRock, Vanguard Group, State Street Global Advisors, et al. (via parent company WPP, plc)
OWNER: WPP plc
SUBSIDIARIES: EssenceMediacom, Mindshare, T&Pm, Wavemaker
2024 REVENUE: Undisclosed. Investment billings exceed $60 billion annually
2024 HEADCOUNT: 35,000-42,000 (est)
3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007
comms@groupm.com
+1 212 297 7000
GroupM, a subsidiary of WPP plc and the world’s leading media investment company, managing over $60 billion in annual media spend, implements DEI* initiatives like the Media Inclusion Initiative (MII), started by Kirk McDonald (a Black man) and led by Gonzalo del Fa (a Hispanic man) and Cynthia Morgan Jenkins (a Black woman), which directs 5% of client media budgets to Black, Hispanic, AAPI, and LGBTQ+-owned media, prioritizes racial and identity-based criteria. The Diverse Voices Accelerator fund, initially focused on Black creators, and targeted talent programs, championed by US DEI Head Lukeisha Paul (also a Black woman), further allocate resources based on race, risking unequal treatment of White employees and applicants. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for Black, LatinX, Asian Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, women, and other groups, but none for White employees, may create disparate employment conditions, fostering exclusion and contravening non-discrimination laws. Mandatory unconscious bias training at subsidiaries like Mindshare, if framing Whites as inherently privileged, could constitute racial harassment by creating a hostile work environment. The Multicultural Marketplace is a GroupM- curated list, initially comprising 300 publishers, featuring Black- and Hispanic-owned and/or focused media outlets to facilitate client investment in these specific segments. GroupM’s segregation of its employees into two adversarial racial categories, POC/BIPOC vs. White, can be seen as problematic as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment. These initiatives, overseen by North American CEO Sharb Farjami, Global CEO Brian Lesser, North American CPO Serena Anthony, and Global CPO Marie-Claire Barker, reflect a systemic preference for non-White groups, likely driven by ESG pressures from institutional investors like BlackRock and Vanguard. Parent company WPP's DEI initiatives, led by Chief Talent & Inclusion Officer LJ Louis, a Black woman, since May 2022, encompass a Racial Equity Taskforce, Black Professionals Network, mandatory unconscious bias training, inclusive hiring practices like blind resume screening, and partnerships to increase representation of underrepresented groups, targeting 30% ethnic minority senior leadership by 2025.
GroupM instructs companies on DEI practices.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
Institutional investors like BlackRock, Vanguard Group, and State Street Global Advisors increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major shareholders of GroupM owner WPP may serve as a significant driver for GroupM's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
It is illegal and contrary to public policy for any organization, including nonprofits, to instruct companies on discriminatory or harassing practices, potentially resulting in serious legal and financial repercussions such as lawsuits for facilitating discrimination, reputational harm, loss of IRS tax-exempt status, and investigations by state and federal civil rights authorities.
As reported on April 1, 2025 by MM+M, parent company WPP removed references to DEI in its latest annual report, replacing them with "people and culture."
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of GroupM’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS: Google, Meta (Facebook), Amazon, Microsoft, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), etc.
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.