Omnicom Media Hosts First Global Town Hall After $13Bn IPG Acquisition

Omnicom Media has held its first major internal town hall following parent company Omnicom’s landmark $13-billion acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG), marking the organisation’s initial formal step toward outlining the structure, culture and expectations of the newly merged media network. Global media reports describe the session as an important moment to address employee uncertainty while laying out the integration blueprint for what is now one of the world’s largest advertising and media groups.

According to Adweek, Omnicom Media CEO Florian “Flo” Adamski opened the meeting by acknowledging the intense public and industry scrutiny surrounding the consolidation. Referencing commentary and social-media chatter following the deal’s closure, Adamski admitted that he had personally reviewed reactions to the merger and said it was difficult to see negative interpretations of decisions made after “careful consideration.” He also alluded to external criticism, noting the company is facing “a lot of haters,” while reiterating confidence in the long-term strategy behind the acquisition.The town hall was positioned as a reassuring move for employees navigating widespread change. Adamski reportedly told staff that steps had been taken to preserve the company’s talent base even as the group prepares for significant restructuring, including approximately 4,000 job cuts globally and the sunset of several long-established IPG agency brands  including DDB, FCB and MullenLowe  as part of the overhaul led by Omnicom CEO John Wren.

Adamski also detailed a new multi-tier operating model that will define client delivery across the merged entity. At the top will be a core client-facing layer comprising six agencies  OMD, Initiative, UM, PHD, Hearts & Science and Mediahub  which will act as the primary service interface in all markets. These agencies will be supported by commercial and operational units such as Omnicom Media Investment, Kinesso and the Outdoor Media Group.At the heart of the new structure sits a centralised data and analytics layer anchored by Acxiom and Annalect. Described as the group’s “intelligence engine,” this unit is positioned to power strategic planning, media activation and real-time optimization across clients. A final specialised layer will house vertical practices including health, sports and influencer marketing, reflecting Omnicom’s aim to deepen category-led capabilities globally.

The meeting also surfaced several leadership updates as the integration takes shape. While IPG’s former global media chief Eileen Kiernan is expected to depart in 2025, she participated in the session and spoke positively about the merger process. Other senior IPG leaders  Justin Wroe (commercial), Dan Fox (investment) and Jonathan Rigby (strategy)  are stepping into key roles within the reorganised group.Wroe later appeared alongside Omnicom executives including Chief Marketing Officer Sofia Colantropo, Chief Operations Officer Kate Osborne and Transformation Chief Jarrod Martin in a panel discussion focused on aligning commercial systems and improving operational consistency across global markets. Osborne told employees to expect a clearly sequenced transformation roadmap to be shared soon.

Agency leadership was also clarified during the town hall. Ralph Pardo will assume a dual role as interim CEO of Hearts & Science and CEO of Omnicom Media North America. Mediahub will continue under U.S. CEO Nicole Estebanell while the company reviews global leadership needs before finalising global president appointments for both agencies.Regional leaders including North America’s Pardo, EMEA CEO Dan Clays, APAC CEO Tony Harradine and LATAM chief Julian Porras addressed staff on integration priorities, workflow harmonisation and building a more unified culture across regions that have historically worked with significant independence.Adamski reportedly closed by acknowledging that uncertainty is inevitable during restructuring on this scale. He cautioned that many markets will see leadership changes in the coming months and urged teams to give regional management time to settle into expanded roles. Committing to transparency, he assured employees that communication would remain frequent as integration decisions continue to unfold.

For a workforce navigating the most significant transformation in the company’s history, the town hall functioned as both a detailed structural briefing and an early effort to stabilise morale as Omnicom moves forward with the complex task of merging two global media giants into one unified organisation.