Omnicom CEO John Wren has taken the helm of a newly expanded agency giant following the completion of the $9 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG), making Omnicom the world’s largest advertising holding company. The merger, which closed Friday, unites creative, media, health marketing, and production agencies under one roof, supported by data from Acxiom and Omnicom’s advanced intelligence platform, Omni. Wren emphasized the strategic benefits of the deal, highlighting the company’s enhanced scale and agility. “We will be in a position, for the foreseeable future, to be able to create the best commercial terms for our clients,” he said. He also pointed to a powerful new platform group driven by generative AI, which he believes will give Omnicom a competitive edge—second only to the biggest tech companies in the world. The transaction, initially valued at $13 billion, closed at $9 billion due to declines in both Omnicom and IPG’s stock prices during the deal’s final months. Wren expressed confidence that Omnicom’s stock will rebound quickly, citing the long-term value of the acquisition. A key component of the merger is a $750 million cost-savings plan, including 4,000 job cuts. Wren acknowledged the human toll, stating he has never taken layoffs lightly. He stressed that the process was not a blanket reduction but a fair, talent-based integration, with the focus on retaining revenue-generating and innovation-driven employees. “The best person wins, not because they were from Omnicom,” he said. The company aims to complete the majority of restructuring by December 15, aiming to provide clarity and stability to staff. Troy Ruhanen, CEO of Omnicom Advertising, said the merger has energized both employees and clients. “Our staff feel they’re capable of being much more of a business partner,” he said, noting strong client reactions to the expanded capabilities and unified vision. On AI, Wren acknowledged the industry’s complex relationship with the technology—both a necessity and a threat to traditional services. “We’re not going to disclose everything,” he said, but confirmed that AI is transforming operations, increasing efficiency, and enabling a shift toward performance-based compensation. The goal is to be paid when clients succeed, and to share in their challenges. Wren also differentiated Omnicom from competitors like Accenture, citing superior data, global reach, and the power of creative intellectual property. “Our data is the most elite in the industry,” he said, adding that the company’s ability to turn data into desire and desire into growth is a key differentiator. Paolo Yuvienco, Omnicom’s CTO, highlighted early and deep partnerships with leading AI researchers at major tech firms since 2022. These collaborations have allowed Omnicom to rapidly adopt and operationalize generative AI. He emphasized the strength of Omnicom’s identity graph, the robustness of its data infrastructure, and its platform strategy that uses agentic AI to connect commerce, media, and creativity—enabling faster, smarter results than competitors, including management consultancies.