AD Agencies
WPP OpenDoor beefs up measurement & analytics with addition of Premjeet Sodhi
MUMBAI: WPP OpenDoor – the specialised unit within WPP for Amazon – is seeing a lot of heavyweight names from within the group being added to it. The latest to be roped in is Premjeet Sodhi who has been appointed as its global lead measurement & analytics based in New York.
Sodhi, who was the chief strategy officer at Wavemaker India until 2023, was plucked and planted in Wavemaker, New York as global lead measurement & analytics and has been based in the Big Apple since then. He has been with the WPP group agencies from 2018, starting with Mindshare Fulcrum as senior vice-president and then moving to Wavemaker India as chief growth officer in 2020.
Sodhi was with Lintas Media group from November 2002, rising to become its president in June 2010 from where he was picked to be the chief operating officer of Initiative Media for six years and three months till March 2018.
The BE in electronics and post graduate diploma holder in rural management began his career in Gujarat State Financial Services as deputy manager from 1996-98, moving on to become research director at ICRG Mudra for two years from 1998. He was appointed at GM technical in the Media Research Users Council from 1999-2001. He also hard a short spell of a year as a team member of Ogilvy Outreach from 2000-2001.
AD Agencies
Publicis posts €4.19bn Q1 revenue, 6.4 per cent growth; backs FY outlook
Ad giant signals Q2 acceleration as AI and new deals power momentum
PARIS: Publicis Groupe continues to outperform the industry, delivering a strong start to 2026 under Chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun. Despite a volatile global macro environment, the company has now outpaced the industry for nearly 20 consecutive quarters.
For Q1 2026, total revenue reached €4,191 million, up from €4,161 million last year, with organic growth of 6.4 per cent. Net revenue, which excludes pass-through costs, stood at €3,460 million, reflecting organic growth of 4.5 per cent.
Exchange rates had a negative impact of €268 million, mainly due to a weaker US dollar and pound sterling. Acquisitions, including Adge.AI and 160over90, contributed an additional €46 million.
Performance across regions was largely positive, with some variation:
- North America, accounting for 59 per cent of net revenue, grew 4.7 per cent
- Europe recorded growth of 3.9 per cent, led by the UK at 6.2 per cent, while France grew 1.6 per cent
- Asia Pacific posted 5.9 per cent growth, driven by China at 11.7 per cent
- Latin America grew 13.3 per cent
- Middle East and Africa declined 5.1 per cent due to geopolitical challenges
AI-powered marketing services, which now make up 86 per cent of the business, grew 5.6 per cent. However, the technology segment, representing 14 per cent of revenue, declined slightly as clients reduced spending on large-scale transformation projects.
Sharing his outlook, Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “Publicis had a very strong start to the year, outperforming the industry for almost 20 quarters in a row despite the volatile macro environment. Organic revenue growth reached 6.4%, leading to 4.5% in net and further increasing the gap with our peers.” He added that the company remains confident of delivering industry-leading performance. “We are confirming our industry-leading organic growth guidance of 4 to 5%, with the 4% rock solid, and a sequential organic growth acceleration in Q2 despite a higher comparable.”
Publicis continued its expansion with the acquisition of Adge.AI in March, followed by 160over90 in April to strengthen its sports and culture marketing capabilities.
Net financial debt stood at €1,156 million at the end of March, reflecting a seasonal shift from the net cash position at the end of 2025. Average net debt over the past twelve months was €1,035 million.
The company has reaffirmed its full-year guidance, expecting net revenue organic growth of 4 to 5 per cent in 2026. It also anticipates an operating margin slightly above 18.2 per cent and free cash flow of approximately €2.1 billion.
With expectations of stronger performance in the second quarter, Publicis remains well positioned to sustain its growth momentum.
