Omnicom keeps six media networks but switches global CEOs to brand presidents

Omnicom Media Group has rebranded as Omnicom Media, restructured its global leadership team and removed its global agency chief executive titles.

The media division restructure is part of a shake-up across the broader Omnicom Group, after its $9 billion acquisition of IPG was confirmed last Wednesday (26 November).

Global chief executives of its six brands – OMD, PHD, Hearts & Science, Initiative, UM and Mediahub – have been renamed global brand presidents.

Omnicom reveals huge agency shake-up, new leadership, cuts 4000 jobs

OM has named four of the global brand presidents: George Manas, OMD; Stacy DeRiso, Initiative; Susan Kingston-Brown, UM; and Christian Flouch, PHD.

The global brand presidents for Mediahub and Hearts & Science are to be announced in due course. 

Of the four global brands which have been named, Kingston-Brown and Flouch are based in the UK. 

Flouch is the only global brand president not previously in a chief executive role, having previously been chief client officer at PHD Worldwide. 

MG OMD is a UK-only brand and will continue to be overseen by Natalie Bell, chief executive. 

Global leadership at Omnicom Media

Florian Adamski has remained global chief executive of Omnicom Media and Brad Nodiff has remained chief financial officer at the group.

The complete list of new global leadership titles is as follows:

• Guy Marks, formerly global chief executive of PHD, has become global chief client success officer. 
• Justin Wroe, formerly chief executive of IPG Mediabrands US, has been named chief commercial officer.
• Dan Fox, formerly global chief investment officer at IPG Mediabrands, has remained in this role at group level. 
• Jarrod Martin, former global chief executive of Acxiom and Kinesso, has been renamed chief transformation officer.
• Kate Osborne, former global operations lead at OMG, has been renamed chief operations officer.
• Sofia Colantropo, former chief marketing officer at Omnicom Media Group, has been renamed chief growth and marketing officer. 

Jonathan Rigby, global chief strategy officer at IPG Mediabrands and Initiative, has moved to global chief strategy officer. 

Kate Weiss, former chief talent experience officer at Omnicom Media Group, has remained in the same role at Omnicom Media.

On the decision to retain six media agency networks, a spokesperson for Omnicom said: “This gives our clients a range of choices in terms of agency approaches and scale, giving them the flexibility to design solutions that work best for their businesses. As the world’s leading global media management network, we recognise that clients from different industries, verticals and investment clusters have very different needs that must be met.”

Adamski told Campaign that greater scale in media was less about buying clout and more about using it to “unlock” data and intelligence.

“What will come to the fore is that we are creating a new model that is much more connected, that is much more fluid than it than it ever was, that brings together the scale in an intelligent way,” he said.

Regional leadership at Omnicom Media

Regional chief executives from Omnicom Media Group will remain in place at Omnicom Media: Ralph Pardo, North America; Dan Clays, EMEA; Tony Harradine, APAC; and Julian Porras, LATAM.

Campaign understands that local market chief executive and local market media agency chief executive titles will remain in place and not be renamed as brand presidents. 

Kingston Brown is currently overseeing UM London on an interim basis after Kara Osborne’s departure in October of this year.

Campaign UK understands that P&Ls will continue to be reviewed at local market level.

When asked whether the network will merge or drop any of these brands, a spokesperson for Omnicom responded: “Being client-first, we will always continue to evaluate our structure in terms of what works best for our clients and our teams.”