Following the global restructure of Publicis Media, Alex Saber has been appointed to the role of chairman, Middle East, Publicis Media, while Steve Parker will serve as the chief executive officer. In light of this move, we caught up with Saber to see what he has envisioned for the region.
Tell us about the restructuring of Publicis Media
We are transforming to line up our end-to-end capabilities in a model that is simple, flexible and efficient. We will put client satisfaction first, thus eliminating complexity and silos.
The reorganization of Publicis Groupe’s media capabilities into a Publicis Media hub is part of Publicis Groupe’s transformation efforts.
Publicis Groupe is organized into four ‘solutions hubs’ that are connected through a chief revenue officer organization, which will deliver client impact, leveraging Publicis Groupe’s entire range of services. VivaKi will no longer be separated as a brand and will be fully integrated into Publicis Media.
When do you start in your new role and what are your responsibilities now?
The leadership appointments are effective immediately and we will now move into a period of structured transition.
Reporting in to our regional CEO, Iain Jacob, who is based in London, I – alongside Steve Parker, who will join as CEO of Publicis Media – will be responsible for the market-level delivery of scale, business transformation and client value, through the combined capabilities of Publicis Media.
As we are a brand-led organization supported by global practices, Parker and I will work closely with our brand leaders in each market to provide a foundation for our global brands, in order to deliver on a client-centric business and on growth, product and capability, excellence and culture, where talent thrives.
How will the various functions be organized?
The strategy for Publicis Media is to have four strong and distinct global media brands. They will be supported by the seven global practices, which will bring scale and ensure the consistent delivery of these capabilities. These seven practices are:
– Data, Technology & Innovation
– Content
– Trading & Buying
– Performance
– Business Development & Communications
– Business Transformation
– Analytics, Research & Insight
The existing global brands [in the MENA region] – Starcom, Zenith, Mediavest | Spark and Blue 449 – will continue to function in their respective markets to service our clients.
What about the other agencies and departments, such as Performics and LiquidThread?
We remain committed to our regional and diversified service brands, as these business units and capabilities are critical for our business. The focus of the announcement is Publicis’ market CEOs and market-level CEOs for our global brands. You can expect to hear more details regarding these divisions and more in the near future. Our immediate focus remains the same, which is delivering day-to-day value for clients.
How will the restructuring affect talent and staff?
We are beefing up our hiring at the moment and expect to add 60 new [individuals] by the end of May across our MENA offices, to bring our total head-count close to 600 talents. We do not expect any redundancies as a result of the restructure.
