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Andrew Robertson is the new CEO of Omnicom Advertising. The long-time BBDO manager takes over with immediate effect from Troy Ruhanen, who is retiring after more than 20 years in leadership roles at Omnicom. The personnel change comes at an important moment: Omnicom describes the integration of its Advertising division following the acquisition of Interpublic as now complete.
Robertson takes over after the major agency consolidation
ADWEEK reports that Ruhanen had already planned his departure together with Omnicom CEO John Wren for some time, but postponed the timing due to the Interpublic acquisition and the build-out of the new Advertising structure.
Omnicom completed the acquisition of Interpublic on 26 November 2025. The combined group then reached more than 25 billion dollars in pro forma revenue. In its creative division, Omnicom now bundles, among others, BBDO, McCann and TBWA as well as several specialised agencies. According to an official Omnicom statement, more than 20.000 people work at Omnicom Advertising worldwide.
For the agency market, the change is therefore more than a routine personnel move: Robertson is taking over a far more consolidated organisation than the classic network structures that have long shaped the industry.
Creativity is to be linked with Omni, data and AI
Robertson states his priority unusually clearly. Omnicom wants to attract a disproportionate share of the best creative and strategic talent and equip them with AI-supported tools and data via Omni. Wren also stresses that creativity should remain central while AI and technology capabilities are expanded.
This fits the broader holding strategy. After the Interpublic acquisition, Omnicom positions its Omni platform as a shared layer for data, identity, media, commerce and generative AI. The direction thus resembles the restructuring of other large networks: WPP is likewise trying to simplify agency structures and integrate AI more deeply into its operating model.
The decisive competition is therefore shifting. Large agency groups no longer sell only creative services or media buying, but increasingly a combination of talent, data access, technology, production and activation.
What the change means for advertisers
For brands, the key question is how strongly individual agency brands will continue to operate independently and how much will be organised through shared platforms. Omnicom continues to promise distinct creative brands, but pools investment in technology and data at holding level.
This can create economies of scale, but it also raises the importance of governance: advertisers should understand exactly which data, models and production systems are used across several agencies, and where teams genuinely work independently.
The market is moving in this direction anyway. PepsiCo has just consolidated its global media business at Publicis, while Publicis is expanding its data and measurement infrastructure with LiveRamp, and Nielsen with DoubleVerify. The boundaries between agency, adtech, data platform and production system are thereby becoming blurrier.
The real test starts now
Ruhanen is leaving Omnicom Advertising after the first integration phase has been completed. Robertson must now show whether the size actually translates into a faster and better working model – and whether the announced combination of creativity, data and AI means more to clients than holding-company language.
For German marketing teams, the change is therefore primarily a signal of the next phase of agency consolidation: the large networks are trying to bundle more services in shared technology and data structures without fully giving up the creative independence of their brands.
Sources: ADWEEK, Omnicom – Leadership Transition, Omnicom – completion of the Interpublic acquisition