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Sorrell to bear the Olympic flame

WPP chief executive Martin Sorrell has been named as one of the Olympic torch bearers in the final run up to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Sorrell will be one of the 28 torch-bearers carrying the Olympic flame on the Redbridge leg of the torch relay on July 22. Torch bearers on other legs of the relay include David Beckham, Will.i.am, Lewis Hamilton and Steve Redgrave.

The Olympic torch has been carried around the UK since May 18 starting from Land’s End and has been taken through 1,000 cities, towns and villages by approximately 8,000 torch-bearers.

The three presenting partners of the Olympics, Samsung, Coca-Cola and Lloyds TSB, have selected some of the torch bearers with Sorrell being invited directly by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Their number is comprised of athletes, businessmen and individuals who have contributed to the local community.

The tradition of the Olympic torch relay started in 1936 and has over the years increased in size and ambition with the help of Olympic sponsors including Coca-Cola.

Sorrell suffered a set back in June being voted out of a $10.5m pay package by 60% of WPP’s investors. However, less than 2% of the investors voted to reject his re-election as chief executive of the world’s largest holding company.

David Hing, London