DDB global CEO Alex Lubar exits as Omnicom–IPG merger fuels questions over agency’s future

New Delhi: Alex Lubar has resigned as global chief executive of DDB Worldwide, the Omnicom-owned creative network, intensifying speculation over the long-term fate of the DDB brand as Omnicom moves towards completing its $13.5 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG).

Lubar, who became global CEO in October 2023 after joining DDB as president and chief operating officer in late 2022, is leaving the network to take over as CEO of Fundamentalco, an independent brand strategy consultancy founded in 2024 by former Droga5 executive Jonny Bauer.

Fundamentalco focuses on advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies, marking a shift in Lubar’s career from leading a global agency network to a consulting-led role.

Omnicom has declined to comment on his departure. Industry sources indicate that the group does not currently plan to appoint a new global CEO for DDB, a move that is being read as another signal that the brand could be restructured or retired once the Omnicom–IPG merger closes.

The exit comes only weeks before the expected completion of the deal by the end of November 2025, after the US Federal Trade Commission cleared the transaction in late September. Final approval from European regulators is still pending.

Market chatter around DDB’s future escalated in late October after a Latin American trade publication reported that Omnicom is considering phasing out the DDB name as part of its integration strategy, and consolidating creative operations around three global brands – BBDO Worldwide, McCann and TBWA Worldwide.

Omnicom has acknowledged that a review of its structure is underway, saying it is “undertaking a rigorous and considered process to ensure we have the very best solutions for the future for us and for our clients,” while stressing that Omnicom and IPG remain separate entities until the deal is formally completed. The company has not confirmed any specific outcome for DDB and has said the review spans all agency brands.

A long-time IPG executive before joining DDB, Lubar spent more than a decade at McCann Worldgroup in roles including CEO of McCann London and president of McCann North America. At DDB, he oversaw a period of renewed creative recognition and network consolidation.

Founded in 1949 as Doyle Dane Bernbach, DDB has been one of Omnicom’s cornerstone brands since the holding company was formed in 1986. In recent years, the network has already seen significant restructuring, including the creation of a new North American leadership structure overseeing DDB Chicago, adam&eveDDB and Alma, and the merger of DDB New York with adam&eveNYC in 2023.

The broader Omnicom–IPG deal is being framed around large-scale efficiencies. IPG has cut about 3,200 roles globally in 2025, including 800 in the third quarter alone, and has exited roughly 7.3 lakh square feet of office space, incurring restructuring costs estimated at $450–475 million.

Omnicom expects the merger to generate about $750 million in annual cost savings and to create the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue.

Industry insiders say one scenario being discussed would see the combined group streamline its creative networks to as few as four global brands, with possible mergers involving DDB and TBWA on the Omnicom side and FCB and MullenLowe on the IPG side, alongside standalone positions for BBDO and McCann. Omnicom, however, has maintained that no final decisions have been taken and that any changes will be driven by client requirements.

With his move to Fundamentalco, Lubar steps away from the holding company world at a time when the global advertising business is dealing with consolidation pressures, the rapid adoption of AI and shifting client expectations around speed, integration and effectiveness.