MAM
Publicis Groupe transforms Vivaki into separate biz unit
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has announced that VivaKi will become a separate business unit now and will be available to all Publicis Groupe agencies and the market.
VivaKi was launched in 2008 through the combined scale and leadership of Digitas, Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), ZenithOptimedia and later Razorfish. It was created to accelerate the digital transformation of Publicis Groupe and its agencies.
Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Maurice Levy said, “As we seek even more aggressive growth and digital acceleration, the VivaKi leadership-Jack Klues, Laura Desmond (SMG CEO), Steve King (ZenithOptimedia CEO), Bob Lord (Razorfish CEO) and Frank Voris-have developed a plan to open up the VivaKi operations, creating a new impetus for further innovations and more aggressive growth for all Publicis Groupe agencies.”
According to Levy, Klues is going to help set VivaKi on its new course, and then map his retirement. Klues will retire as CEO at the end of 2012 after 35 years with the organisation, though he will remain with Publicis Groupe through the first half of 2013 to help establish VivaKi as a separate business unit.”
Vivaki CEO Jack Klues said, “The agencies have shaped and perfected our offerings, worked together to create valuable new solutions, and embraced a transformational philosophy of building, borrowing and sharing to the benefit of our clients. Digitas, Razorfish, SMG and ZenithOptimedia will continue to inform our roadmap even as they continue to enhance their own, unique propositions.”
With this transformation, the VivaKi agencies will gain greater autonomy to differentiate and collaborate with this evolution. Yet they will remain tightly linked to the progress and offering of VivaKi, and as a result, they will report directly to Maurice Levy.
VivaKi Exchange (VX) operations that currently exist in more than 12 global markets will continue with oversight from VivaKi Country Chairs (VCC) who will align with the media agencies to oversee VX operations and whose duties will include deployment and adoption of VivaKi offerings in local markets.
VivaKi will also continue to advance its product development and Partnership Practice-a team that works with companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft, to create first-mover opportunities, new products and preferred pricing.
Additionally, Frank Voris will serve as CEO of the strategically focused VivaKi, partnering with Rishad Tobaccowala, who remains VivaKi‘s chief innovation and strategy officer.
SMG has accelerated its digital offering by reinventing its core product around human experience, leveraging VivaKi products and expanding strategic partnerships with key technology companies.
Razorfish and Digitas have benefited from the massive media clout and centralised ability of VivaKi to build tools and solutions that enhance the eCommerce offering of Razorfish, and the Social CRM capabilities of Digitas. As a result, the digital agencies have evolved and differentiated rapidly.
Voris, who has served as VivaKi CFO since its inception, has been responsible for all VivaKi operations, including technology, product development and the integration of acquisition targets, since the entity was launched in 2008. Tobaccowala is a 30-year industry thought leader who has pioneered several industry firsts, including VivaKi Ventures, Denuo and other future-focused operational units that have delivered gaming, mobile and internet expertise to marketers.
An executive board consisting of Desmond, King, Lord and Voris will collaborate on VivaKi product strategies, priorities and transactional tools and services.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
