Inside Omnicom’s Town Hall: Adamski confronts criticism, outlines new power structure after IPG acquisition
At a 2.5-hour global meeting, Omnicom Media leadership reportedly laid out its post-merger integration blueprint, defended strategic restructuring amid criticism, confirmed sweeping global changes including legacy brand shutdowns and workforce reductions, and assured regional continuity in key markets like India.
ADVERTISEMENT
On December 3, Omnicom Media hosted its first global company-wide town hall since parent company Omnicom Group completed its $13-billion acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG), a deal that creates one of the world’s largest advertising and media networks by scale and billings.
Omnicom to unveil ‘New Omnicom’ and Next-Gen Omni AI Platform at CES 2026 amid post-merger overhaul
The 2.5-hour meeting, according to AdWeek, live-streamed on a private Vimeo link, was briefly accessible externally before being locked down.
Leadership Responds to Scrutiny and Negative Coverage
Opening the session, Florian “Flo” Adamski, CEO of Omnicom Media, reportedly addressed intense industry speculation surrounding the merger and restructuring. He criticised the tone of press and social-media commentary, describing detractors as “haters,” and stressed that decisions had been taken after “considerable deliberation,” urging staff to stay patient as transitions roll out.
DDB, FCB, MullenLowe Are Dead. Somehow, Lintas Lives.
Adamski emphasised that the integration is not simply a cost-cutting measure, but a strategic repositioning to build a unified, data-intelligent global media organisation capable of deeper client value and category-leading capabilities.
New Operating Model and Agency Architecture
According to Adweek, Adamski walked staff through a multi-tiered operating structure intended to simplify client engagement and bring clarity to the combined entity’s service model. At the top sits a client-facing delivery layer comprising six core media agencies—OMD, Initiative, UM, PHD, Hearts & Science and Mediahub—which will serve as the primary interface for brand partners.
Supporting these will be commercial and operational units including Omnicom Media Investment, Kinesso and the Outdoor Media Group. At the centre of the system is an intelligence layer anchored by Acxiom and Annalect, described as the engine powering data, analytics, planning and optimisation. The final tier consists of specialised practice groups such as health, sports and influencer marketing, reflecting a strategy to deepen vertical expertise.
Leadership Transitions and Integration Planning
The town hall highlighted several leadership updates across the newly combined network. Although IPG’s former global media chief Eileen Kiernan is expected to depart in 2025, she participated in the session and expressed optimism about the integration. Other senior IPG leaders—including Justin Wroe (commercial), Dan Fox (investment) and Jonathan Rigby (strategy)—are stepping into central roles in the reorganised structure.
Wroe later joined Omnicom CMO Sofia Colantropo, COO Kate Osborne and transformation chief Jarrod Martin for a panel that discussed harmonising commercial practices and improving operational consistency globally. Osborne told employees they should expect a carefully sequenced transformation roadmap soon.
Agency leaders also outlined their evolving responsibilities. Ralph Pardo will serve as interim CEO of Hearts & Science while continuing as CEO of Omnicom Media North America. Mediahub remains under U.S. CEO Nicole Estebanell as global leadership is evaluated, with Adamski suggesting both agencies will undergo closer assessment before presidents are appointed.
Regional leaders—including North America’s Pardo, EMEA’s Dan Clays, APAC’s Tony Harradine and LATAM’s Julian Porras—spoke about streamlining delivery, integrating workflows and building a unified culture across historically independent markets.
The merger will include significant consolidation changes across legacy creative networks.
The leadership sentiment throughout the meeting, reportedly was one of cautious confidence: acknowledging pain points while underscoring long-term competitive advantage. Adamski urged employees not to get distracted by external noise and to “trust the process” as integration unfolds in phases across global regions.
Despite short-term uncertainty, the combined organisation positions itself to redefine global media delivery through scale, technology, and intelligence-driven decisioning.
He reportedly urged staff to allow time and space for these leaders to settle into their new roles, reinforcing that integration decisions will unfold in phases rather than overnight. Adamski also emphasised a commitment to transparency throughout the process, assuring the workforce that communication would be frequent and candid as the restructuring progresses.
