In an in-depth discussion with Campaign, Omnicom Media Group EMEA CEO, Dan Clays, offered his perspective on leading a complex and diverse marketplace and the most important responsibility of a regional CEO. Highlights from the interview are excerpted below. Read the full interview here.
Since Clays’ appointment, Sainsbury’s consolidated its media duties with PHD last June, following a closed pitch between PHD and (the now defunct) EssenceMediacom X, which was a fellow incumbent. Another major retention included the Volkswagen Group’s global media account in July, thought to be close to £2bn, while in August it won Michelin’s €80m global media account, and in December, Indian automotive multinational Tata Motors, worth $78.3m (£64.3m) in new-business billings.
Clays is quick to thank his predecessor Marks for help and advice, much of which appears to have informed Clays’ approach to the role; one centered on getting the balance right between “global and local.” That, in turn, means finding the right people to do the right job, allowing them the space and time to get on with their work. “Success isn’t going to come from micromanaging every single pitch,” he explains. “Ultimately you have to do things which are going to benefit the performance of the business long term.”
Clays seems to have it [EMEA’s complex geography in terms of culture, language, media landscape, regulation, adoption, and maturity of digital and technology usage] under control. “Respecting the need for local nuances and expertise is really, really key,” he stresses. “What we actively avoid is the sense of going in as a global, top-down figure.
“I think I learned pretty quickly that assuming local market knowledge from a London headquarters isn’t going to be the way to go. It’s really important to go out and spend time in the Middle East, the French market, Spain and truly understand what it is that is going to [help them] with their clients more effectively or to help them in pitches.“I’ve actually found it one of the most enjoyable parts of the job, developing those relationships, identifying where you can make a difference and helping celebrate their success.”
Clays would appear to have the human side of an international chief executive down pat, but he’s also keen to embrace the possibilities of technology, and in particular Omni, an open operating system supporting all Omnicom agencies that allow users to plan a campaign from beginning to end within the same system to streamline workflow and improve consistency “The key focus is to make sure we’re capitalizing on the clients that we have, and that we’re working out how we can help them grow with the services that we provide that will lead to our growth,” he says.
Tech awareness aside, Mike Cooper, former Chief Executive of OMG EMEA and APAC from 2019-2022 (and, immediately before that, Global Chief Executive of PHD), has confidence in Clays’ ability to drive Omnicom’s success across EMEA: “He’s smart enough to employ the best people he can and give them room in which to operate and allow their entrepreneurial skills to flourish. He’s very good with people and he’s very good with clients. Also, and this is kind of important, he loves what he does.”