Publicis Groupe 2016: Maurice and the Millennials

Having built Publicis Groupe through acquisitions maintained as separate brands, CEO Maurice Lévy wanted to transform the advertising and marketing firm to an integrated digital-ready enterprise to address industry changes. In early 2016, following a reorganization, he faced questions of how to change the culture and use digital capabilities more effectively than competitors. Lévy turned to millennials within the Groupe and technology entrepreneurs outside the Groupe for innovations in order to create platforms for clients rather than simply react to existing social media platforms. As he increasingly focused on a new generation, questions remained about who would succeed this CEO of 31 years.