DDB North America CEO Justin Thomas-Copeland to depart

In September 2022, Alex Lubar was introduced on as world president and world chief working officer of DDB Worldwide.

Marty O’Halloran was promoted alongside Thomas-Copeland in 2020 to world CEO, a job he maintains. Each executives have been introduced on to assist flip the company round within the U.S. throughout a tough time for DDB. Previous to Thomas-Copeland’s arrival, the company had misplaced lead inventive company duties for Capital One, McDonald’s and State Farm.

“We want to thank Justin for his time main DDB North America,” O’Halloran mentioned in a press release. “We’re unhappy to see him go and want him all the most effective and far success sooner or later.”

Thomas-Copeland specifically was seen as an government who may infuse information pondering right into a traditionally conventional company. As a part of that, the company launched a brand new “Sudden Works” model positioning in 2021. Since then the company picked up some new enterprise in North America, together with Reynolds Client Manufacturers, Orkin, Kroger Well being and Bimbo Bakeries.

Nonetheless, DDB’s stature within the U.S. remains to be removed from what it as soon as was as one of many few standing legacy companies left within the business. Earlier this yr Johnson & Johnson launched a U.S. inventive evaluate for Aveeno, and Neutrogena, each DDB shoppers. The company additionally misplaced its enterprise with Aflac and Persil ProClean in 2022.

DDB’s U.S. Military account has been a brilliant spot for the company. A brand new marketing campaign debuted in April, a month after Military advertisements starring Jonathan Majors have been pulled.

Thomas-Copeland has held a number of government roles inside Omnicom. In 2019, he was named world CEO of Omnicom Precision Advertising Group. Previous to that, he served because the CEO of Rapp, New York. His resume additionally contains the titles of CEO and chief inventive officer of Wunderman Moscow (earlier than the WPP-owned store merged with J. Walter Thompson to develop into Wunderman Thompson).