Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has shuffled its senior agency leaders around, with Laura Nice becoming CEO of PHD Australia and Sian Whitnall as sole CEO at OMD Australia.
Mark Jarrett, current boss of PHD, will move to a group role to be announced shortly.
Nice and Whitnall had been co-CEOs of OMD.
“These appointments reflect OMG’s commitment to delivering market-leading service and outcomes for our clients as we continue to evolve our business and capabilities as part of Omnicom Oceania,” said OMG Australia COO Kristiaan Kroon.
“Laura, and Sian exemplify our culture of nurturing talent and building leaders who prioritise client success. As OMG enters an exciting phase of growth and expansion, the formation of Omnicom Oceania will further enhance our ability to deliver scale and unlock new opportunities for our clients, people, and partners. We remain focused on shaping the future of marketing in collaboration with our clients, building more effective, transparent, and growth-driven partnerships powered by exceptional leaders and teams.”
In a release, OMG said Nice and Whitnall had “propelled” OMD forward, delivering double-digit revenue growth, industry-leading client satisfaction, and continued momentum over their tenure.
In her new role, OMG said Nice will strengthen PHD’s ability to deliver progressive, high-performing solutions for clients, adding that she is known for her “deep client relationships” and ability to translate ambition into meaningful business outcomes.
Now with sole control of OMD, Omnicom said Whitnall’s focus will be on unlocking “new levels of creativity and collaboration” and “co-creating standout brand experiences with OMD’s clients”.
Jarrett, meanwhile, has been with PHD for nearly a decade, following a further nine years with OMD. He became PHD’s CEO at the tail end of 2019 after three years as its MD.
According to a recent (and slightly controversial RECMA report that resulted in a recount), OMD maintained its spot as the number one media agency in Australia. It narrowly edged out EssenceMediacom. At a group level, WPP Media are on top with 56 points, followed by Omnicom Media Group and Publicis Groupe in equal second with 42 points each.
OMD leads the Australian agency ranking with a total score of 22 points, narrowly ahead of EssenceMediacom in second place with 21 points — both agencies achieved the ‘Dominant Profile’ status for scoring above 20. Mindshare ranks third with 18 points, followed by Wavemaker (17 points) and PHD (16 points).
In B&T‘s Agency Scorecards (which, as you know, reader, are the definitive, inarguable single sources of truth on agency performance), OMD and PHD scored a very respectable 8.5 each.
In COMvergence’s most recent New Business Barometer, PHD ranked second – behind WPP Media’s EssenceMediacom – on the back of its Bunnings win.
Omnicom’s acquisition of the Interpublic Group will complete this month. Rumours and gossip about agency consolidation have been the talk of the industry for a while.
B&T understands that the DDB brand is set to be retired as part of the acquisition, though it is unclear if any of the media agencies will be affected. Needless to say, we’ll have our fingers on (or at least around) the pulse to keep you up to date with any comings, goings or changes.
