MAM
JWT strengthens Ford relationship with new appointment, promotion
MUMBAI: With a view to strengthen it’s 62 year relationship with Ford Motor Co., JWT Worldwide CEO and chairman Bob Jeffrey announced two executive moves – that of George S Rogers and Doug Molloy.
Rogers, an automotive advertising veteran, has been named co-president of JWT Detroit, a role in which he will oversee the agency’s US relationship with its largest client, Ford.
Rogers will share leadership responsibilities for the office and its accounts with Tom Cordner, who also holds the title of JWT Detroit CO-president and is the Worldwide creative director on Ford.
Additionally, Molloy, who has touched nearly every aspect of the Ford account over his 29-year tenure at JWT, has been promoted to international business director, Ford, a post in which he will be responsible for all of JWT’s Ford business outside of the US.
Molloy will free Rogers to focus on Ford US and JWT Detroit’s other clients, including Domino’s, Bosch, Shell, White Castle, Delta Dental and Great Lakes Crossing.
Rogers, who will become a member of JWT’s Worldwide Executive Committee, will report to Jeffrey, and Molloy will report to JWT Worldwide president Michael Maedel.
“Over the years, our business with Ford has grown so elaborate and has presented so many opportunities, it deserves single-minded leadership in both the US and internationally. George’s extensive and highly regarded auto experience and Doug’s multi-faceted, distinguished tenure at JWT are a winning combination that is sure to expand the breadth and depth of our relationship with Ford on a worldwide basis. These moves are a part of our drive to secure top-notch talent, who will grow and evolve our most important client relationships,” said Jeffrey.
For the past eight years, Rogers was at Wenham, Mass-based Mullen, where he rose from senior vice president to executive vice president, group director. There, he managed the shop’s Detroit office and its relationship with General Motors, as well as oversaw its XM Satellite Radio, Stanley Works and the US Department of Defense accounts.
“George’s credentials are exactly what we sought for our Detroit office. Under his leadership, his teams have produced not only famous, but effective work for large complex clients. He is well respected by his creative partners, who point to his excellent sensibilities and embrace of big ideas. Most importantly, he has a track record of innovation in marketing communications and knack for building businesses and brands in tune with the future,” explains Jeffrey.
“This is a dream scenario for me. I look forward to partnering with Bob, Tom and my new team to work smart to build Ford’s brands domestically and to grow JWT’s presence in Detroit, already the city’s biggest and most vibrant agency and a genuine force in the Midwest. I love the car business and marketing communications, so what could be better than a job that marries these two passions?,” added Rogers, who will relocate to Michigan this summer.
Cordner added, “George is part of a master plan to move all our clients to the next level in communications. He thoroughly embraces change and understands the need to create ideas that people want to spend more time with.”
Molloy, who will continue to be based in Singapore, has spent the past two years supporting all of JWT’s Ford and Mazda business outside of North America as international vice president, senior executive management director, Ford International.
Prior to that, he was senior partner, executive management director, Ford International for four years. Since joining JWT Detroit in 1976, Molloy has worked on numerous award-winning new product launches in various countries, and spearheaded the expansion of JWT’s Ford business throughout all of Asia.
“Doug is a consummate professional, who knows the Ford business inside and out. We are always benefiting from his wealth of knowledge and expertise in everything automotive,” said Jeffrey.
AD Agencies
Omnicom Q4: Posts big revenue gains amid restructuring
Company trims underperforming units and launches $5B share buyback to reward investors.
MUMBAI: Omnicom has decided that in the world of global advertising, it is better to be a big fish in an even bigger pond. The marketing powerhouse, which recently swallowed its rival IPG, has kicked off 2026 by showing the market that it is not just buying growth – it is engineering it. In a series of bold strategic manoeuvres, the group has doubled its projected cost-savings target to a whopping $1.5 billion over the next three years.
The fourth-quarter results for 2025, released on 18 February 2026, paint a picture of a company in the midst of a massive structural makeover. Reported revenue for the quarter shot up 27.9 per cent to $5,528.8 million, a figure heavily bolstered by the first full month of IPG’s operations under the Omnicom umbrella. For the full year, revenue reached $17,271.9 million, marking a 10.1 per cent increase as the company integrated heavyweights like Acxiom Real iD and Flywheel Commerce Cloud into its next generation Omni platform.
However, bigger does not always mean tidier. The group reported a Gaap net loss of $941.1 million for the final quarter, or $4.02 per diluted share. This was primarily due to a massive $1.1 billion bill for severance and real estate repositioning, alongside a $543.4 million loss on the sale of non-strategic businesses. When these one-off integration headaches are stripped away, the underlying performance looks far more robust, with adjusted net income reaching $607.7 million and earnings per share of $2.59, comfortably ahead of the prior year’s $2.41.
The group is also trimming the fat elsewhere. Management has identified underperforming and non-strategic units representing approximately $2.5 billion in revenue for exit or sale. Meanwhile, smaller majority-owned markets bringing in $700 million are being moved to minority positions. This portfolio pruning is designed to focus the New Omnicom on higher-growth areas like media, creative content, and data-driven consulting.
Investors, it seems, are being kept sweet with a significant return of capital. The board has approved a fresh $5 billion share repurchase program, initiating an immediate $2.5 billion accelerated buyback. This comes on top of $549.6 million paid out in common dividends during the year.
Performance across the sectors was a mixed bag but generally positive in the heavy-hitting divisions. Media and advertising revenue surged 34.4 per cent in the fourth quarter to $3,322.6 million, while public relations grew 12.4 per cent to $500.8 million. On the flip side, branding and retail commerce saw a 7.0 per cent dip. Regionally, the US remains the engine room, with revenue jumping 51.9 per cent to $2,869.1 million in the quarter, while the UK saw a respectable 18.8 per cent rise to $533.2 million.
With a total debt of $9.1 billion following the IPG acquisition, the group is leaning on its cash-generative nature to keep its investment-grade credit rating intact. Free cash flow for the year stood at $2,226.1 million, up from $1,964.7 million in 2024. As the company moves into 2026, the focus is firmly on the Connected Capability model, essentially ensuring that its global army of talent is pulling in the same direction, and more importantly, within a much leaner budget.
