Among the fifth of shareholders voting 'no' to Sir Martin Sorrell's £48m pay-packet at advertising giant WPP today was Standard Life Investments - but its new governance exec is more concerned about what happens when the 72-year-old retires.

In her first public intervention since taking a new corporate governance role at the fund manager in January, Deborah Gilshan called on the WPP board to formally agree timings for a succession plan with Sir Martin, who has led the firm since 1986. Unusually, his current contract can be terminated without any notice, she said.