Omnicom–IPG merger: Philippe Krakowsky appointed Co-President & COO

Philippe Krakowsky has been appointed Co-President and Chief Operating Officer of the unified Omnicom–IPG organisation, serving alongside Daryl Simm in a leadership structure designed to balance stewardship from both legacy companies. His appointment also includes a seat on the Omnicom Board of Directors, placing him at the centre of the operating model that will guide the world’s largest marketing-services company through its next phase of integration. For Krakowsky, the expanded remit marks a natural progression from his most recent role as CEO of Interpublic Group, a position he assumed in 2021 after nearly two decades inside the holding company.

Across his long tenure at IPG, Krakowsky has been closely associated with the modernisation of the group’s operations, particularly through his role as Chief Operating Officer from September 2019 to December 2020. During that period, he oversaw a broad portfolio of independent agencies, including Acxiom, Huge, R/GA, Deutsch, Carmichael Lynch, Hill Holliday, Kinesso and Matterkind. He also served as Chairman of IPG Mediabrands from 2016 to January 2021, giving him direct operational oversight of the network’s global media capabilities and data-driven planning infrastructure. His leadership was consistently characterised by a focus on talent, strategy and organisational coherence, functions he previously led at IPG as EVP and Chief Talent and Strategy Officer from 2002 to 2019, a span of more than 17 years.

Before joining IPG, Krakowsky held senior roles at BBDO Worldwide from 1991 to 1996 and at Young & Rubicam from 1996 to 2000, giving him early exposure to global agency networks and large-scale client operations. Originally from Mexico and a graduate of Harvard University, he began his career in the technology industry in the late 1980s, contributing to the development of an artificial intelligence software company that was ultimately acquired by Apple, an experience that shaped his appreciation for innovation, product thinking and the evolving relationship between technology and marketing.

Krakowsky is also widely recognised as the architect of one of IPG’s most consequential moves: the 2018 acquisition of Acxiom for 2.3 billion dollars. The deal significantly strengthened IPG’s data, identity and privacy capabilities at a time when marketers were transitioning toward addressable media and unified consumer profiles. Acxiom’s integration not only reshaped IPG’s competitive positioning but also demonstrated Krakowsky’s long-standing belief that data, creativity and technology must operate in tandem to serve modern clients. 

The most anticipated merger in the ad industry - Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group, formally closed in late November 2025, creating the world’s largest marketing-services holding company and folding IPG’s media assets into Omnicom’s media arm. The deal has set off a comprehensive reorganisation, with Omnicom outlining a refreshed leadership structure and a plan to integrate agencies and platforms under the Omni operating system while retiring or consolidating several legacy brands.