Sir Martin Sorrell says Levy will remain in full control of Publicis Groupe despite senior restructure
Publicis Group CEO Maurice Levy is likely to remain in full control despite its major senior restructure, according to rival WPP chief Sir Martin Sorrell.
His comments follow the announcement that Levy will remain at the helm of Publicis Groupe until 2017 having extended his reign over the company while announcing new appointments to its board of directors,
Speaking to The Drum, Sorrell questioned the speed of the implementation of the appointments to the board of directors and said that he felt it would make no difference to the control held by Levy overall.
“Despite today's lengthy and complex announcement, it's difficult to believe that Monsieur Levy will not continue to exert control over Publicis. Publicis and Levy go together like strawberries and cream. After all, his reign is actually being extended by today's announcement and contradicts previous announcements,” commented Sorrell, referring to Levy's previous intention to retire on New Year's Eve next year.
The new board of directors will include Starcom MediaVest CEO Laura Desmond, Steve King, CEO of ZenithOptimedia, Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Worldwide and Rishad Tobaccowala, chief strategist of Publicis Groupe all joining the board of directors.
They will join Lévy, Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, Kevin Roberts and Jean-Michel Etienne.
Sorrell also queried what had happened to the reported acquisition of Criteo from earlier this month, which he speculated seemed to be “off the table,” as a result of this restructure.
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Publicis Groupe
Publicis Groupe is a French multinational advertising and public relations company. One of the oldest and largest marketing and communications companies in the world,...
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WPP
WPP plc is a British multinational communications, advertising, public relations, technology, and commerce holding company headquartered in London, England. It was...
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