David Thomas to become non-executive chair of the board in January
Michael Roth, executive chairman of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), will retire from the company and the board of directors on December 31, 2021. David Thomas has been elected to serve as non-executive chair of the board, effective January 1, 2022. These actions complete the transition plan announced in October 2020, when Philippe Krakowsky was announced as CEO, a position he assumed on January 1, 2021.
“My time as chairman and CEO of IPG has been a tremendous privilege,” said Roth. “I am most proud of the work we have done to help shine a light on equity and inclusion, as well as being a values and purpose-driven enterprise. Operationally, we have evolved to meet the needs of an industry that is not only creative, but also increasingly about digital and data. Philippe has been key to the efforts to move the company forward on all these fronts, working with me and the board to build a contemporary organization that delivers high-value services for marketers. Our clients, people and shareholders are in very good hands going forward.”
Thomas shared, “I am honored that my fellow directors have asked me to serve as Chair of IPG’s board of directors. On behalf of the board, I want to thank Michael for his nearly 20 years of service to IPG. His leadership has been instrumental in making IPG the advertising sector’s top-performing company across a range of key financial and operational metrics. I look forward to working with Philippe and my fellow board members to continue building on our successes, working together to create long-term value for our stakeholders.”
Krakowsky added, “Michael’s leadership has always demonstrated that doing the right thing for our people and the communities in which we operate is good for our business. For the industry at large, he was the first to clearly articulate the importance of making diversity and inclusion business priorities. He also set an agenda for IPG that was fully client-centric, as we looked to bring collaborative, cross-agency teams together under our Open Architecture model. Michael has brought an insightful, calm and focused approach to problem-solving for a range of complex business challenges. On behalf of all our people, I want to thank Michael for two decades of thoughtful, measured and principled leadership.”
Changes Afoot For Cannes Lions 2025, Including Increasing Festival Access For Underserved Communities
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is putting plans in motion for its 72nd edition, set to take place from June 16-20, 2025 in Cannes, France. The Festival has announced that it will double funding to provide €2m (some $2,150,000) worth of complimentary passes to underrepresented talent and underserved communities through its Equity, Representation and Accessibility (ERA) Pass, returning for a second year.
Frank Starling, chief DEI officer, Lions, said the increased investment was “crucial to continue to drive progress for both Cannes Lions and the industry.” Starling added, “The ERA pass plays an important role in fostering a global representation of talent within the creative communications industry at Cannes Lions, and to date our funded opportunities have reached creatives in 46 countries globally. With the Festival being the destination for everyone in the business of creativity, we recognize the importance of creating equitable access to it, and this is why we’re prioritizing increased representation from the Global South to support a greater range of voices and perspectives from the region at the Festival.” Applications for the ERA pass are open now and close on December 5, 2025. More details can be found here.
With submissions into the Cannes Lions Awards opening on January 16, 2025, innovations to the Awards have also been announced today. Glass: The Lion for Change celebrates 10 years since its introduction. The Glass Lion was launched to champion work that used creativity to drive a shift towards more positive, progressive and gender-aware communication, and Marian Brannelly, global... Read More