BBDO Veteran John Osborn Named U.S. CEO of OMD
September 18 2017 - 2:29PM
Dow Jones News
By Suzanne Vranica
Omnicom Group Inc. has tapped John Osborn to helm the U.S.
operations of OMD, where the longtime BBDO executive will be tasked
with revitalizing one of the country's largest ad-buying firms.
A 26-year veteran of Omnicom's creative agency BBDO, Mr. Osborn
has been chief executive of BBDO New York since 2004.
The hiring of Mr. Osborn, 50 years old, may be somewhat
surprising since he has no media buying experience. However, he is
well-known for his strong relationships with marketers.
"We are trying to bring freshness of thought and leadership to
OMD and increase our client handling capacity," said Daryl Simm,
chief executive of Omnicom Media Group, the Omnicom division that
houses its media buying firms.
Mr. Osborn is able to "provide business solutions to clients"
and "bring simplicity" to the complex ad business, and that is why
marketers are drawn to him, Mr. Simm added. As media agencies such
as OMD expand their offerings into areas such as data and content,
having someone like Mr. Osborn on board can help with integrating
those services on behalf of clients, Mr. Simm said.
OMD has had a lackluster new business track record over the past
18 month, losing business from clients such as home-improvement
retailer Lowe's Cos. and drugstore chain Walgreens Boots Alliance
Inc.
It's a big change for the shop, which has long been Omnicom's
strongest media brand. The agency has recently been outshined by
its smaller sister ad-buying firms PHD and Hearts & Science,
which have lured in big accounts from the likes of Volkswagen,
AT&T and Procter & Gamble.
"It's tough to be the third-sexiest agency in a holding
company," said Greg Paull, co-founder and principal of R3, a
consultancy that works with agencies and marketers.
Mr. Osborn's hiring is part of a broader executive shake-up at
OMD. He is replacing Monica Karo, who has been named chief client
officer at OMD Worldwide. Ms. Karo is known for a close
relationship to Apple, one of Omnicom's most-prized accounts.
Florian Adamski, currently CEO of OMG Germany, is being name CEO of
OMD Worldwide. He replaces Mainardo de Nardis, who becomes
executive vice chairman at Omnicom Media Group
Despite some softness in its business, OMD remains one of the
biggest ad buyers in the world and is responsible for buying
roughly $42 billion worth of ad time and space on behalf of
companies such as McDonald's Corp., PepsiCo. Inc. and Walt Disney
Co.
Mr. Osborn said he decided to join OMD because media is "where
the action is."
He may also be able to help OMD better collaborate with other
Omnicom divisions, a critical skill nowadays as marketers
increasingly demand better collaboration within ad holding
companies. At BBDO, Mr. Osborn helped the firm work more closely
with other Omnicom divisions, such as its health-care
operations.
Write to Suzanne Vranica at suzanne.vranica@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 18, 2017 14:14 ET (18:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Omnicom (NYSE:OMC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Omnicom (NYSE:OMC)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024