Slavi Samardzija is exiting Omnicom’s Media Group’s Annalect in September, with sources decoding the CEO’s exit as indicative of pending modifications inside the holding firm’s expertise and analytics division.
Separate sources accustomed to the developments, all of whom requested anonymity to keep up their relationships with the holding firm, advised Digiday that information of Samardzija’s exit first surfaced in the course of the opening week of July. He might be changed by Adam Gitlin, who has served as Annalect president below Samadzija since 2016.
An Omnicom Media Group spokesperson confirmed Samardzija’s departure from the holding firm, though it stays unclear if the CEO’s exit was a part of a broader restructuring. The spokesperson declined to say the place Samadzija goes as soon as his time at OMG is completed.
“Below Slavi’s management, Annalect expanded into a world powerhouse for knowledge and analytics innovation,” stated Florian Adamski, world CEO of Omnicom Media Group, in an e-mail that additionally confirmed Gitlin as his alternative. “Considered one of his key strengths has all the time been constructing distinctive leader-practioner groups – which is why we have now each confidence that his successor, Adam Gitlin, will preserve Annalect on the forefront of exploration, innovation and transformation.”
Adamski credited Gitlin with taking part in “a key position within the improvement of the Omni advertising orchestration platform, and has delivered to markets companies, capabilities and merchandise that powered transformative enterprise outcomes for our purchasers.”
One supply interpreted Samardzija’s departure as a possible precursor to a strategic restructuring on the holding firm and presaged that extra high-profile exits might comply with, particularly as the corporate prepares for a merger/takeover of Interpublic Group, pending last regulatory approval.
For instance, latest strikes, equivalent to unifying workers’ e-mail tackle codecs (whatever the unit they work for), recommend that Omnicom might look to centralize its construction in favor of disparate manufacturers below the OMG umbrella — a transfer that may mirror that of rival WPP Media.
In late June, Omnicom acquired (certified) approval for its proposed $13.5 billion takeover of IPG, a transfer that may create the business’s largest holding firm, from the Federal Commerce Fee. For some, this transfer means the union of the 2 is all however a fait accompli, that means management of the holding firm will look to understand $750 million in annual value financial savings.
In the meantime, a separate supply, who hasn’t had contact with Samardzija since his determination to depart, felt that management would have wished to retain such an influential govt, with all three sources noting his position in shaping Omnicom’s present industrial proposition.
Samardzija first joined Annalect in mid-2014 as its analytics chief, ultimately rising to the position of CEO inside three years when he helmed the launch of Omni, the companywide working system and orchestration platform, in 2018.
“As I begin my subsequent chapter, I couldn’t be extra pleased with what we have now achieved, extra grateful for the chance of working with this crew, or extra assured within the continued success of Annalect below the management of Adam Gitlin,” wrote Samardzija in an emailed response.
Omni’s launch is extensively thought to be a transformative improvement at Omnicom, with one supply informing Digiday that the Omni platform represented the holding firm’s media and artistic companies aligning below a single knowledge technique. Specifically, many credit score this technique as instrumental in Omnicom profitable Amazon’s $6 billion Americas’ media enterprise, following a six-month aggressive pitch.
“He was the man within the new enterprise pitches speaking in regards to the knowledge technique,” stated one supply, who additionally famous how Samardzija, regardless of main a crew of 1000’s at Annalect that redefined how holding corporations operationalize knowledge, would typically keep away from the general public highlight, selecting as an alternative to focus on his crew members.
“Annalect is the place all of the strategic issues had been taking place,” added the supply, “everybody on the [OMG] media companies, regardless that they may not have reported into him, would comply with Slavi [Samardzija]’s lead… and with the Omni platform, that set the blueprint for everyone else.”
His departure comes at a time when it’s extensively anticipated that IPG’s Acxiom knowledge unit will develop into a key ingredient in Omni, whose open-source construction permits it to soak up knowledge from any variety of sources. Nonetheless, the 2 items have operated below totally different administration. On condition that Annalect has been instrumental in constructing Omni – and Samardzija has been instrumental in operating Annalect – it will appear an inopportune time to lose his expertise and experience.
One other supply, who as soon as labored at Annalect, famous that Gitlin would possible present management continuity.
“There’s by no means been a extra thrilling time – within the business or inside Omnicom Media Group – to guide a crew that has been purpose- constructed for innovation,” stated Gitlin in a ready assertion. “Collectively we’ll lead our purchasers into the following period of information driving alternative.”
Omnicom is scheduled to reveal its Q2 earnings on July 15, with IPG on target to do likewise on July 22.
