Omnicom has agreed to acquire ad industry rival The Interpublic Group of Companies, creating the world’s biggest advertising conglomerate. The announcement of the stock-for-stock transaction comes just days after fellow rival Publicis Groupe revealed it had become the industry’s leading holding company.
Under the new Omnicom, there will be more than 100,000 staff operating across media, marketing, CRM, data, digital commerce, advertising, healthcare, public relations, and branding.
John Wren will remain Chairman & CEO, while Phil Angelastro will remain EVP & CFO. Philippe Krakowsky – Interpublic’s CEO – and Daryl Simm will serve as Co-Presidents and COOs of Omnicom. Krakowsky will also be Co-Chair of the Integration Committee. Three current members of the Interpublic Board of Directors, including Krakowsky, will join the Omnicom Board of Directors.
“This strategic acquisition creates significant value for both sets of shareholders by combining world-class, highly complementary data and technology platforms enabling new offerings to better serve our clients and drive growth,” said Wren. “Through this combination, we are poised to accelerate innovation and harness the significant opportunities created by new technologies in this era of exponential change. Now is the perfect time to bring together our technologies, capabilities, talent and geographic footprints to bring clients superior, data-driven outcomes. We are excited to welcome Philippe and the entire Interpublic team to the Omnicom family.”
The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2025, will see Interpublic shareholders receive 0.344 Omnicom shares for each share of Interpublic common stock they own. Omnicom shareholders will own 60.6% of the combined company, with Interpublic shareholders owning the remaining 39.4%.
“This combination represents a tremendous strategic opportunity for our stakeholders, amplifying our investments in platform capabilities and talent as part of a more expansive network,” said Krakowsky. “Our two companies have highly complementary offerings, geographic presence and cultures. We also share a foundational belief in the power of ideas, enabled by technology and data. By joining Omnicom, we are creating a uniquely comprehensive portfolio of services that will make us the most powerful marketing and sales partner in a world that’s changing at speed. We look forward to working with John and the entire Omnicom team.”
