Omnicom Group’s impending takeover of rival Interpublic Group (IPG) reached an important milestone today (March 18) when shareholders of both companies voted to approve the deal.
The holding companies said they still expect the takeover, first announced in December 2024, to close in the second half of 2025. The transaction still has to go through regulatory approvals.
If it gets through those hurdles, the combined Omnicom-IPG would create the world’s largest advertising network by revenues, overtaking rivals Publicis Groupe and WPP.
Following shareholder approval, Omnicom CEO John Wren and IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky issued memos to staff, both claiming the deal offered a “compelling” proposition.
Read their notes to employees below.
From Wren:
All,
I am pleased to announce an important milestone in our process to acquire Interpublic. At each company’s Special Meeting for Stockholders held earlier today, stockholders from Omnicom and Interpublic overwhelmingly approved the previously announced acquisition.
Their strong support confirms the compelling value proposition of the deal, which is poised to create new opportunities for our people and clients in a constantly changing marketing landscape. We will have the industry’s deepest bench of marketing talent and offer the most innovative services and products, all underpinned by an advanced sales and marketing platform. Together, Omnicom and Interpublic are uniquely positioned to lead in a new era of marketing transformation.
Today’s stockholder approval is an exciting advancement in our journey to become a combined company with Interpublic, and we remain on track to complete the transaction in the second half of 2025. As we move forward in this process, it is business as usual for our agencies. Our primary focus continues to be delivering great work for our clients, and I want to thank you for your incredible dedication to them over the past few months.
While we maintain focus on our day-to-day work, we know updates such as today’s are important as we move closer to completing the deal. With that in mind, we plan to continue a regular cadence of updates in the months ahead so you can stay informed on the process and our integration plans.
Thank you again for your hard work and continued commitment to our clients. We look forward to sharing more news on the proposed acquisition soon.
Best regards,
John Wren, chairman & CEO, Omnicom
From Krakowsky:
Dear Colleagues,
Today marked a significant milestone in our journey to combine our company with Omnicom.
