OMG names APAC and EMEA CEO

Omnicom Media Group has appointed Mike Cooper (pictured) to the newly created position of Group CEO, APAC and EMEA. He last helmed the role of PHD Worldwide CEO, based in London. In his new role as Group CEO, Cooper will be responsible for assuring service standards across OMG agencies Hearts & Science, OMD and PHD in markets outside the Americas; and driving consistent adoption of transformative technology, products and practices across these markets. Cooper’s appointment is effective 1 July 2019.  He will be based in London, reporting to Omnicom Media Group Chairman and CEO Daryl Simm.The new Group CEO’s executive team will include current OMG EMEA chief financial officer Peter Poelzlbauer, who has been promoted to Group CFO, OMG APAC and EMEA; OMG APAC CEO Tony Harradine, stationed in Singapore; and, following Colin Gottlieb’s stepping down as CEO of OMG EMEA to move to an advisory role, all EMEA-based senior leadership.According to a media statement, Cooper was the first regional CEO and first employee of OMD, where he established OMD’s footprint in Asia Pacific and laid the foundation for the agency’s global expansion. He was with OMG between 1997 and 2007, and went on to head PHD for 11 years. Prior to his two-decades long stint with the OMG network, Cooper was the director of sales and marketing with CNBC. At CNBC, he was responsible for growing and managing distribution network, overseeing advertising sales network and all aspects of promotion and marketing. Before that, he was with Saatchi & Saatchi for 11 years. He helmed the role as Media APAC CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi in 1984. Cooper was based in Hong Kong during his tenure with the agency. Simm said Cooper’s proven talent for creating and expanding best practices across vastly different local markets has been critical to OMG’s global growth strategy. “His record, and the respect he has earned from clients and agency teams at every level, speak to his energy, commitment and professionalism – qualities that he will bring to his new role, working with Hearts & Science, OMD and PHD leadership to assure the best outcomes for our clients across APAC and EMEA,” he added.Cooper said APAC and EMEA encompass an “exciting mix” of established and emerging markets where OMG enjoys significant market share through three strong media networks. “Working with our extraordinary talent across these geographies, I will be focused on growing that share by delivering the technology, products and service that translate to business results for our clients,” he added.