Publicis Groupe has hired Sylvie Ouziel to serve as CEO of its Shared Platforms. She assumes the role on September 8. Ouziel will be responsible for: Re: Sources, Publicis’ 5000-strong global shared service backbone that builds consistency and synergies across the Groupe’s tools and systems, in support of its country-led model; Marcel, the proprietary AI-powered platform connecting and scaling Publicis’ teams to learn more, share more and create more; real estate, procurement, insurance and the global management of the Groupe’s technology partnerships. Ouziel will report directly to Arthur Sadoun, CEO and chairman of Publicis Groupe, and join the Management Committee.
Sadoun stated, “The addition of Sylvie to Publicis’ leadership team further confirms our shift from a holding company to a platform. Our country model is in place, with a single P&L to deliver an end-to-end model. Our global capabilities in data and technology with Epsilon and Publicis Sapient are fueling all of our local operations to help our clients transform. Our shared platforms will, more than ever, support our clients’ growth by providing them with guaranteed outcomes, reduction of delivery risk and increased cost-competitiveness, along with speed to market and strategic flexibility. What is more, and maybe even more importantly, our shared platforms further enhance our employer attractiveness via unmatched collaborative experiences and personal development opportunities for our teams.”
Since 2019, Ouziel has been international president of Envision Digital, the net zero carbon software and industrial technology leader, based out of Singapore.
Previously, she spent eight years at Allianz, where she was chairwoman of Allianz Managed Operations and Services, based in Munich (in charge of creating the Group Shared Services), then, global CEO of Allianz Assistance (B2B2C and services global business unit of the insurance group), while also directly overseeing the APAC businesses.
Ouziel began her career at Accenture, where she held various management positions over 12 years as a partner, the last one being global COO of Accenture Management consulting.
During her 20 years overall at Accenture, she shaped and delivered global strategic transformation programs for industrial clients, notably in automotive, pharmacy and construction.
Ouziel is an engineer who graduated from Ecole Centrale Paris and from the Kellogg’s Northwestern Accenture-sponsored Executive MBA Program.
Ouziel is enthused about joining Publicis and its “tradition of modernity.” She added, “To continuously earn the trust of clients and teams in a constantly bar-raising environment, Publicis Shared Platforms will focus on scaling leading-edge digital solutions, at speed, in a compliant and cyber-secure way, on processing mass transaction with industrial quality and hosting inclusive and inspiring virtual and physical collaborative spaces for teams, partners and clients. We will continue to optimize corporate and external partners’ resources towards increased competitiveness.”
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie โ a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More