AD Agencies
IPG Mediabrands opens new global centre in Pune
Mumbai: IPG Mediabrands, the media holding company within Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), has announced the opening of its new global centre of excellence office at the International Tech Park, Kharadi, Pune India. In a significant expansion of the media network’s footprint in India, the Pune office will serve as a pivotal hub for media activation, product development, and engineering, to over 500 clients globally, spanning multiple industries.
The new state-of-the-art office spans 62,000 square feet and offers a range of advanced amenities for employees including a rooftop sports area with facilities for basketball, tennis, and a gym, along with a walking track. It also includes a crèche facility for employees’ children, a 24-hour canteen service, agile workspaces designed for collaboration, and dedicated company transportation.
“We are thrilled to expand our presence into Pune and create a world-class workplace for our talented team,” said KINESSO’s executive head of global operations Ankita Agarwal. “This office will be instrumental in implementing the highest standards of media activation, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering exceptional value to our clients.”
KINESSO is the tech-driven performance arm of IPG Mediabrands that currently accounts for 90 per cent of the headcount in Pune.
KINESSO and Acxiom global CEO Jarrod Martin added; “We have built a network of global capability centres providing essential services, and India is our single biggest hub market, servicing other countries around the world. By centralising all these capabilities in one location, the Pune GCC will enable us to implement the highest standards media activation across all campaigns and brands, facilitate shared learnings, and enhanced product development. India is a world-leading source of advanced talent, and IPG Mediabrands is committed to tapping into this expertise to elevate our product and service delivery to clients.”
IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha commented, “The launch of the IPG Mediabrands Pune GCC is a significant milestone in our growth journey, expanding our existing footprint which already includes offices across Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, and Kolkata. In the last 12 months, we have doubled in size, and with continued growth trajectory anticipate India becoming the second-largest IPG Mediabrands market by employee headcount over the next two years. This not only underscores our continued commitment to investing in India, but also highlights our strategic focus on leveraging advanced talent to drive media innovation.”
The launch of IPG Mediabrands Pune is effective immediately and will deliver services across various crafts including biddable, analytics, and media operations, with an emphasis on innovation and execution.
AD Agencies
Omnicom to divest $2.5 billion businesses in 12 months: CEO John Wren
Group doubles synergy target to $1.5bn as jobs, brands and markets go
NEW YORK: Omnicom Group is preparing to divest or exit businesses generating about $2.5 billion in annual revenue, stepping up a sweeping portfolio overhaul after its $13.25 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group.
Speaking on the group’s fourth-quarter earnings call, chairman and chief executive officer John Wren said Omnicom had already sold or exited units worth more than $800 million in annual revenue and expects to complete the remaining disposals within 12 months.
The company is also scaling back in smaller markets, shifting from majority to minority ownership in businesses accounting for roughly $700 million in revenue. These markets, Wren said, are no longer central to Omnicom’s long-term strategy.
Following the IPG merger, Omnicom has doubled its targeted annual run-rate synergies to $1.5 billion over the next 30 months, from an earlier estimate of $750 million. Management expects to capture $900 million of those savings in 2026 alone, with around $1 billion coming from labour cost reductions as overlapping corporate, network and operational roles are eliminated.
Further efficiencies will flow from simplified regional and brand structures, consolidated resources, and faster outsourcing and offshoring under a unified operating model. In December 2025, the group said it would cut more than 4,000 jobs and fold several agency brands into larger networks.
Wren also underlined stepped-up investment in automation and artificial intelligence to lift margins and sharpen client servicing amid intensifying competition.
The board has authorised a $5 billion share buyback, including a $2.5 billion accelerated repurchase programme, while committing continued investment in media, commerce, consulting and data capabilities.
Omnicom reported a 27.9 per cent rise in fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue to $5.53 billion, reflecting organic growth and one month’s contribution from IPG, compared with $4.32 billion a year earlier. Wren said the IPG combination strengthened the client roster, citing new or expanded mandates from American Express, Bayer, BBVA, BNY, Mercedes-Benz and NatWest Group.
