Publicis Groupe Reorganizes U.S. Media Leadership Team

Publicis Groupe is rejiggering its U.S. Publicis Media leadership team with an array of new titles to round out its C-suite. Michael Epstein departs the Dentsu network to join Starcom as its new CEO, U.S. Epstein, the former CEO of Carat Global, is well-known for his digital transformation as he rose through the ranks at the Dentsu Aegis Network over the past few years. He will bring his visionary prowess to shape the Starcom shop. He will replace Kathy Ring, who left the agency in March after a 20-year career with the organization. At the time, the company announced Chris Boothe, CEO of Spark Foundry, as interim CEO of both Starcom and Spark Foundry through the transition. Boothe will become COO of Publicis Media in the U.S., with a specific focus on talent and leadership of Publicis Media brands and accelerating interagency collaboration and growth. “The opportunity to accelerate this momentum on behalf of our clients’ businesses and our own is undeniable, and in my new role, I look forward to working with the talented teams across Zenith, Spark and Starcom to do just that,” Boothe told Adweek. His successor as CEO of Spark Foundry U.S. will be Sarah Kramer, a 27-year veteran of Publicis Groupe. Previously serving as president, chief client and operations officer for the agency, Kramer is responsible for its global and domestic client practice and growth initiatives and also oversaw strategy, data and analytics and digital and technology practices. "The brand has grown tremendously over the last four years and I look forward to further accelerating this momentum—fostering a diverse and inclusive culture that enables our people to thrive, and a focus that places our clients firmly in the center of everything we do," Kramer said in a statement. The Groupe is also introducing a “key” new role naming Danielle Gonzales as chief client officer of Publicis Media to ensure that the Groupe’s broader Power of One integration works effectively for its clients. Most recently, Gonzales worked as president and chief client officer at Starcom. All of these leaders will report to Dave Penski, Publicis Media's CEO. Penski’s role has expanded in recent years as part of a global transformation to a more country-by-country specific model where there is a country-level leadership. Given the size of the U.S., the team is led by its U.S. ComEx leadership teamm which includes Tim Jones as COO. “With this evolution of our leadership, we are uniquely positioned to drive new levels of business transformation, scale, collaboration and client value," Penski said in a statement. Publicis Groupe shows slow but steady diversity push