Publicis has appointed Demet Ikiler as its new chief operating officer (COO) of Publicis Groupe EMEA, in a bid to bring a new ‘dynamic of leadership’ to the region.
Demet joins the ‘big six’ group after spending two decades at rival company WPP where she was a member of GroupM’s global leadership team as CEO of GroupM EMEA and WPP Country chair, responsible for scaling and delivering more innovative cross-culture solutions for clients.
According to Publicis, Demet is well known for her ‘unique, inclusive and powerful leadership’ and has been recognised by Fortune and The Economist as one of the ten ‘most powerful female CEOs’.
Reporting to Publicis CEO EMEA Loris Nold, Ikiler will focus on creating a joined-up and collaborative EMEA region, ‘strengthening connectivity and scaling expertise’ and capabilities for clients and opportunities for talent.
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“It gives me great pleasure to welcome such an outstanding leader and inspiring person as Demet to the Publicis family,” Nold said.
“I have been hoping to partner with her for years and cannot envisage a better way to take on our greater ambition for the EMEA region.
“She brings the unique combination of a proven track record in leading clients and operations at scale, as one of the most progressive leaders of the industry, with a thorough understanding of the EMEA ecosystem as well as a passion for equality, diversity and inclusion.”
Demet added: “It’s a huge pleasure, an honour and a great responsibility to join Publicis Groupe and such a strong team of progressive leaders. I really look forward to the opportunity to make an impact and accelerate across a region I know very well when it comes to markets, capabilities and talents.
“As we partner increasingly closer with our clients to drive business impact, the ability to operate across and leverage a wide variety of assets and skills, at scale, has been a compelling proposition for me.”
