Mediaweek has reached out to Omicom Oceania for clarification on how many local jobs will be impacted, after sealing its A$13.5 billion takeover of Interpublic Group and confirming more than 4,000 roles globally will go as the world’s largest advertising group races to hit a projected A$1.1 billion in cost synergies.
Nick Garrett, CEO Omnicom Oceania, said: “This is a defining moment for our region. By bringing together the depth, ambition and talent of our people, while simplifying the architecture, we are creating modern, future-fit agencies and capabilities that will deliver world-class creativity and media, smarter data and technology integration, and new levels of effectiveness for brands in Australia and New Zealand.
“I want to congratulate Priya Patel, Paul Wilson, Sheryl Marjoram, Mike Napolitano and Lee Leggett on their new roles. Their leadership will play a critical part in shaping the next era of Omnicom Oceania.
“These changes honour the legacies of our heritage brands while positioning us to unlock even greater opportunity, effectiveness and growth for our clients and our people.”
Movers and shakers in Omnicom Oceania
Omnicom Oceania announced a series of local changes across Australia and New Zealand to align with the group’s updated global structure following the completion of the IPG acquisition.
In Australia, DDB Australia will merge with Clemenger BBDO Australia, creating a single, unified national agency under the Clemenger BBDO name.
Sheryl Marjoram (Sydney) and Mike Napolitano (Melbourne) have been appointed Co-CEOs of Clemenger BBDO Australia, responsible for leading the national agency and shaping its creative, media, strategic and operational direction.
Lee Leggett, outgoing CEO of Clemenger BBDO, will transition into a new senior Oceania role: Chief Customer Officer, Omnicom Oceania, strengthening the group’s focus on client experience and integration across Australia and New Zealand.
In New Zealand, DDB Group Aotearoa and FCB Group Aotearoa will merge to form McCann Group NZ, a new unified creative & media agency network.
Priya Patel (CEO, DDB Group Aotearoa) and Paul Wilson (CEO, FCB Group Aotearoa) have been appointed Co-CEOs of McCann Group NZ, bringing together deep leadership, client expertise and market influence.
In Wellington, Clemenger Wellington and FCB Wellington will rebrand as McCann Wellington, operating as part of McCann Group NZ. Local leadership for McCann Wellington will be announced shortly.
As part of Omnicom’s global creative reorganisation, the DDB, FCB and MullenLowe brands will retire globally and be folded, respectively, into TBWA and BBDO.
Meanwhile, Hearts & Science, Initiative, MediaHub, OMD, PHD and UM all remain as distinct client-first agencies.
Wren on creating efficiencies
Most of the cuts will land before the end of December, with Business Insider reporting that CEO John Wren said this week the majority will be administrative roles, plus “some leadership” positions.
The layoffs represent roughly 3% of the combined workforce of 128,000. They sit on top of IPG’s 3,200 job losses since late last year and Omnicom’s previous 3,000 cuts. With combined annual revenue topping A$37 billion, the new Omnicom-IPG machine brings scale – and consolidation.
“There’s efficiencies, they come in the form of labour and other things,” Wren told the Financial Times. “But anybody that was generating revenue before December last year has a very good position with us today.”
Omicom CEO John Wren
Rebuilding the machine
The merged Omnicom is now anchored by five major divisions spanning media, PR, production, commerce and advertising.
Wren has installed a streamlined leadership bench, including Florian Adamski across Omnicom Media, Chris Foster in Public Relations, Sergio Lopez in Production, Duncan Painter leading Omni and Flywheel, and Troy Ruhanen atop Omnicom Advertising, overseeing BBDO, McCann, TBWA and the US Advertising Collective.
The integration will determine whether Omnicom holds onto its biggest clients during the upheaval.
As Brian Wieser of Madison and Wall warned, the company’s ability to manage people and clients “will determine whether a significant number of advertising contracts are put up for review”.
Still, Wren remains bullish: “Together, we will be the go-to company that shapes how brands grow, people connect, and culture evolves.”
The stakes for agencies
Beyond the headline job cuts, the retirement of legacy creative brands has sent a shockwave through the global industry – particularly the folding of DDB, founded in 1949, into TBWA, and of MullenLowe into TBWA, and of IPG’s FCB into BBDO.
Agencies that survive in full form include OMD, FleishmanHillard, Golin and Weber Shandwick.
With the merger locked, Omnicom is pressing ahead with tighter systems, consolidated operations and a pitch that its heft will unlock better deals with tech platforms and media owners.
The real test now sits in the transition: whether Omnicom can retain talent, steady clients, and deliver the efficiencies that justify the upheaval – all while shaping a network built for a new era of global advertising.