Sadoun Moves Quickly To Put His Stamp On Publicis Groupe

Fourteen days into his new role as Publicis Groupe chairman/CEO, Arthur Sadoun is already making his mark on the holding company by filling two new senior executive posts and creating two new committees.

Carla Serrano, CEO of Publicis New York and chief strategy officer of Publicis Communications, has been elevated to the newly created role of chief strategy officer of Publicis Groupe. She will be based in New York to help oversee the network's strategic objectives.

Throughout her career, Serrano has held strategic leadership and agency management roles inside big network shops as well as creative boutiques. Before arriving at Publicis in 2014, she held positions such as CEO of Naked NA, CSO at TBWA Chiat/Day NY and president of Berlin Cameron and Partners.

Véronique Weill will join Publicis Groupe in its Paris offices to serve in the newly created role of general manager. Her responsibilities will include the Groupe's Re:Sources, IT, Real Estate, Insurance and M&A units, effective September 1, 2017. She spent 21 years at JP Morgan, where she led operations and IT globally. She then joined French insurer Axa in 2006, where as part of the management committee she was responsible for operations, technology, digital, marketing and innovation.

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Both Weill and Serrano will report to Sadoun.

To further facilitate the network's “Power of One” transformation, announced in late 2015, Publicis is creating two committees composed of more than a dozen company executives to ensure that its various implementation goals are achieved on schedule.

“Maurice Lévy and I are both very confident in these recruitments as well as in the implementation of the two new management bodies composed of diverse, talented leaders to drive the Groupe through its transformation to become a true platform," stated Sadoun.

The Executive Committee will meet in person every month to monitor the Groupe’s vision and align the Groupe's assets and talents with client objectives. In addition to the existing Directoire this board will include Serrano; Weill; Chip Register, Co-CEO of Publicis.Sapient; Nigel Vaz, President, DigitasLBi; and Alan Wexler, Co-CEO, Publicis.Sapient.

Meanwhile, the new Management Committee will meet every quarter to oversee Groupe operations as well as track the Groupe's execution plans set by the Executive Committee. This group is composed of the Executive Committee members plus Valerie Beauchamp, EVP Business Development, Publicis Groupe; Justin Billingsley, COO Publicis Communications; Gerry Boyle, CEO APAC, Publicis Media; Andrew Bruce, CEO North America, Publicis Communications; Nick Colucci, CEO Publicis Health; Lisa Donohue, Global Brand President, Starcom; Tim Jones, CEO North America, Publicis Media; Loris Nold, COO Publicis Communications; Rishad Tobaccowala, Chief Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe; Alexandra Von Plato, Group President, Publicis Health; and Jarek Ziebinski, CEO, Publicis One. Agathe Bousquet, President, France, Publicis Groupe will join the board effective September 1.

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