John Osborn Named CEO Of OMD US

Omnicom Media Group agency OMD Worldwide named John Osborn CEO of its US operations. Osborn joins OMD, the largest US media agency following his role as President and CEO of sister Omnicom agency BBDO NY during which time the agency dramatically grew and expanded its service and practice base.

Osborn succeeds Monica Karo, who is moving up to a global role as Chief Client Officer of OMD Worldwide.

“At a time when clients are looking for integrated solutions, having agency leadership with experience across the broad spectrum of marketing services is critical to growth and client success,” says Daryl Simm, CEO of Omnicom Media Group.  “As an Omnicom network, we’re fortunate to be able to access successful leaders like John who can meet that standard.”

Osborn first joined BBDO New York to work on the Pepsi business, rising to lead Account Director.  He later became the principal architect of the agency’s integrated marketing efforts, expanding services to include digital and social marketing, experiential marketing, design and more.  As president and CEO, Osborn continued to focus on BBDO’s growth in all iterations, innovating in areas like healthcare and expanded data capabilities by establishing an in-house partnership with Omnicom Media’ Group’s Annalect data and analytics platform. During his tenure, BBDO New York was named an Agency of the Year more than 15 times including, most recently, BtoB, Social Media and Webby Agency of the year.

Osborn’s commitment to delivering the talent and tools that drive brand growth, combined with the energy and insights he brought to solving clients’ most challenging business problems, have been integral to the long list of strong and enduring client relationships that have been the hallmark of his tenure at BBDO.

“John’s cross-channel expertise, combined with his skill in creating and leading multi-disciplinary teams, makes him the ideal choice to lead OMD,” says Omnicom Media Group North America CEO Page Thompson. “He’s a proven and passionate leader who knows how to build the relationships – with clients, with agency partners, and with talent – that build brands.”

Commenting on his new role Osborn says, “One of the great things about working at an Omnicom agency is the focus on growth, both personal growth and business growth.  This can come in many forms.  As I move into the US CEO’s chair at OMD, growth, especially growing our clients’ business,  remains the defining priority – still working with the best people in the business, but now viewed from the perspective of the media context in which messaging comes to life.”