Publicis Groupe Announces Chief Revenue Officer Laura Desmond's Resignation

Publicis Groupe Announces

Chief Revenue Officer Laura Desmond's Resignation

Appoints Rishad Tobaccowala as Strategy & Growth Officer

Executive Has Been On Leave Dealing With Significant Family Health Matter

October 27, 2016 - PARIS - Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris: FR0000130577, CAC 40]  announced today that Laura Desmond, Chief Revenue Officer, Publicis Groupe, has resigned from the Groupe, effective December 31, 2016.  Ms. Desmond has been on a leave of absence since July 1, 2016 dealing with a significant family health matter.   

"I am very grateful to Maurice Levy and everyone at Publicis Groupe for their support during my leave. The family health issue is significantly better," says Desmond.  "This sabbatical allowed me to consider where my greatest entrepreneurial and leadership opportunity existed.  After thoughtful reflection and discussions with Maurice, I have concluded this is the right step for me. I leave the Groupe with nothing but thanks and appreciation for the opportunities and support I've received throughout my career and during my leave."

"We are all very grateful to Laura for her many important contributions to Publicis Groupe and are sorry to see her go," says Maurice Levy, Chairman & CEO, Publicis Groupe. "I know that Laura will continue to be as incredibly successful in the future as she has been with us.  With my colleagues of the Management Board we wish her only the very best."

During Desmond's leave, her responsibilities as Chief Revenue Officer, have been coordinated by Rishad Tobaccowala, who will continue in this role as Strategy and Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe.

Appointed Chief Revenue Officer in December 2015, Desmond was responsible for developing strategies that catalyze Groupe transformation and business transformation through the alchemy of creativity and technology. In addition, she led the Groupe's Global Client Leaders, simplifying and accelerating the way clients access communications and marketing technology solutions across Publicis Groupe.  Prior to her current role, Desmond served as Global CEO of Starcom Mediavest Group, more than doubling its size and nurturing relationships with the world's biggest marketers including Samsung, Bank of America, Visa, Coca-Cola, as well as new establishment brands such as Airbnb and Twitter.

About Rishad Tobaccowala

Rishad Tobaccowala is the Strategy & Growth Officer, member of the Directoire+ of Publicis Groupe, the world's third largest communications group. 

Previously, he was the Chieft Strategist of Publicis Groupe, and before that the Chairman of DigitasLBi and of Razorfish, two global firms owned by the Publicis Groupe focused on marketing and business transformation.  Rishad was also the Chief Strategy and Innovation officer of VivaKi, a global leader in digital advertising solutions. 

He has 33 years of experience in marketing and has worked, helped grow, founded/co-founded or incubated for a variety of companies including Leo Burnett, Starcom, SMG Next, Starcom IP, Giant Step, Play, and Denuo.

Rishad is also Chairman of The Tobaccowala Foundation, which helps 10,000 people in India access better education and healthcare. Rishad was named by BusinessWeek as one of the top business leaders for his pioneering innovation and TIME magazine dubbed him one of five "Marketing Innovators. Rishad has earned a BS in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Bombay and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago.

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, CAC 40] is a global leader in marketing, communication, and digital transformation, driven through the alchemy of creativity and technology. Publicis Groupe offers its clients seamless access to its tools and expertise through modular offering. Publicis Groupe is organized across four Solutions hubs: Publicis Communications (Publicis Worldwide, Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, BBH, Marcel, Fallon, MSL, Prodigious), Publicis Media (Starcom, Zenith, Mediavest | Spark, Optimedia | Blue 449, Performics), Publicis.Sapient (SapientNitro, Razorfish, DigitasLBi, Sapient Consulting) and Publicis Health.These 4 Solution hubs operate across principal markets, and are carried across all others by Publicis One, a fully integrated service offering bringing together the Groupe's expertise under one roof. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs nearly 80,000 professionals. 

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