Troy Ruhanen, CEO of the Omnicom Advertising Group, is to retire after a glittering career.
Ruhanen started his career at BBDO in Brisbane, before joining Leo Burnett in 1994 where he would spend a decade working across Sydney, Chicago and Asia-Pacific for the agency.
In 2000, he became MD of Leo Burnett Sydney, taking the agency to significant awards success. In 2004, he would join BBDO as the MD of its New York office, rising to become its chairman and American CEO.
After that, he spent a decade as the president and global CEO of TBWA\Worldwide before spending nearly two years as the president and CEO of the newly formed Omnicom Advertising group.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work alongside some of the most talented people in our industry. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. With the integration complete, this is the right moment for me to retire. I have profound confidence in Andrew and our leadership team,” said Ruhanen.
Andrew Robertson, currently chairman of BBDO Worldwide, has been appointed CEO of Omnicom Advertising, effective immediately.
Having spent more than two decades as a leader within Omnicom, the holding company said he brings valuable expertise, long-standing client relationships with marquee global brands and a demonstrated track record of building high-performing teams. He will work closely with Ruhanen during the transition to ensure a seamless hand-off.
“Troy has been an exceptional leader whose impact on Omnicom and our industry cannot be overstated. His leadership was instrumental in bringing together our combined organization while strengthening our ability to serve clients and create opportunities for our people. We are grateful for his many contributions and wish him every success in retirement,” said John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom.
“Our plan is clear,” said Robertson. “Secure a disproportionate share of the world’s most exciting creative and strategic minds, equip them – through Omni – with the industry’s most advanced AI enabled tools and data, to deliver exceptional results for a client list that is the envy of our competitors.”
