Publicis Groupe is taking boutique agency network LePub global, including its initial foray into the U.S.

LePub will add to its presence in Amsterdam, Johannesburg, Milan, Mexico City, Rome, São Paulo, and Singapore, starting with its first U.S. hub in New York. Offices in Bogota, Dubai, and London will follow in 2025.

Barilla and Heineken will be the founding clients when the New York office opens its doors Jan. 1, with a newly appointed management ream reporting to LePub global CEO Bruno Bertelli and Publicis Creative U.S. CEO Susie Nam.

Lea Mastroberti will lead the New York office as president. She had been head of account management at Accenture Song, following a stint with Droga5.

Katy Alonzo, chief strategy officer (CSO) at Publicis sibling Le Truc, will also serve as CSO of LePub New York. She joined Le Truc in September.

Head of strategy Cecilia Diaz joins from her post as group strategy director at Anomaly, leading strategy across Diageo’s portfolio.

Publicis said additional leadership appointments for LePub’s New York office will be revealed in the coming weeks.

LePub debuted in November 2020, and its client roster includes Barilla, Bottega Veneta, Diesel, Heineken, Philips, Tecate, Tiger, and Toblerone.

Its offerings include tech-based innovation division LeGarage.

“At a time when brands are challenged by the proliferation of competition, cultural fragmentation, and a digital landscape that moves at warp speed, staying relevant has never been more complex,” Publicis Groupe CSO Carla Serrano said in a statement. “LePub nimbly blends global and hyperlocal trends with emerging innovation to create notable consumer connections.”

Bertelli added, “The opening of our New York office is an incredible milestone, and with our expansion into Latin America and EMEA in early 2025, LePub will boast a network of 10 offices with talent focused on delivering work that’s both imaginative and impactful.”