Omnicom Group 10-K 2024-12-31
Filed 2025-02-05. 23 sections, 411K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
Commission File Number: 1-10551
OMNICOM GROUP INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| New York | 13-1514814 | |||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||
| 280 Park Avenue, New York, NY | 10017 | |||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 415-3600
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbols | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Common Stock, $0.15 Par Value | OMC | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||
| 0.800% Senior Notes due 2027 | OMC/27 | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||
| 1.400% Senior Notes due 2031 | OMC/31 | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||
| 3.700% Senior Notes due 2032 | OMC/32 | New York Stock Exchange | ||||||
| 2.250% Senior Notes due 2033 | OMC/33 | New York Stock Exchange |
Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of the chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☑ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | |||||||||||||||
| Smaller reporting company | ☐ | Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☑
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No þ
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates as of June 30, 2024 was $17,486,183,571. As of January 30, 2025, there were 196,490,662 shares of Omnicom Group Inc. Common Stock outstanding.
Portions of the Omnicom Group Inc. Definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders planned to be held on May 6, 2025 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this report to the extent described herein.
OMNICOM GROUP INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, including statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In addition, from time to time, the Company or its representatives have made, or may make, forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the Company’s management as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project” or similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company’s control. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include:
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risks relating to the pending Merger (as defined below) with The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., or IPG, including: that the Merger may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; delays, unanticipated costs or restrictions resulting from regulatory review of the Merger; uncertainties associated with the Merger may cause a loss of both companies’ management personnel and other key employees, and cause disruptions to both companies’ business relationships; the Merger Agreement (as defined below) subjects the Company and IPG to restrictions on business activities prior to the effective time of the Merger; the Company and IPG are expected to incur significant costs in connection with the Merger and integration; litigation risks relating to the Merger; the business and operations of both companies may not be integrated successfully in the expected time frame; the Merger may result in a loss of both companies’ clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties; and the combined company may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the Merger or fail to effectively manage its expanded operations;
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adverse economic conditions, including geopolitical events, international hostilities, acts of terrorism, public health crises, inflation or stagflation, tariffs and other trade barriers, central bank interest rate policies in countries that comprise our major markets and labor and supply chain issues affecting the distribution of our clients’ products, or a disruption in the credit markets;
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international, national or local economic conditions that could adversely affect the Company or its clients,
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losses on media purchases and production costs incurred on behalf of clients;
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reductions in client spending, a slowdown in client payments or a deterioration or disruption in the credit markets;
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the ability to attract new clients and retain existing clients in the manner anticipated;
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changes in client marketing and communications services requirements;
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failure to manage potential conflicts of interest between or among clients;
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unanticipated changes related to competitive factors in the marketing and communications services industries;
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unanticipated changes to, or the ability to hire and retain key personnel;
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currency exchange rate fluctuations;
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reliance on information technology systems and risks related to cybersecurity incidents;
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effective management of the risks, challenges and efficiencies presented by utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and related partnerships in our business;
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changes in legislation or governmental regulations affecting the Company or its clients;
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risks associated with assumptions the Company makes in connection with its acquisitions, critical accounting estimates and legal proceedings;
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the Company’s international operations, which are subject to the risks of currency repatriation restrictions, social or political conditions and an evolving regulatory environment in high-growth markets and developing countries; and
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risks related to our environmental, social and governance goals and initiatives, including impacts from regulators and other stakeholders, and the impact of factors outside of our control on such goals and initiatives.
The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company’s business, including those described in Item 1A., “Risk Factors” and Item 7., “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, or MD&A, in this report and in other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Except as required under applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
ii
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION WITH IPG AND WHERE TO FIND IT
In connection with the proposed transaction, Omnicom and IPG have filed a joint proxy statement with the SEC on January 17, 2025 and Omnicom has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 on January 17, 2025 (File No. 333-284358) (“Form S-4”) that includes the joint proxy statement of Omnicom and IPG and that also constitutes a prospectus of Omnicom. Each of Omnicom and IPG may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This annual report on Form 10-K is not a substitute for the joint proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document that Omnicom or IPG may file with the SEC. The definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus have been mailed to stockholders of Omnicom and IPG. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN AND MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OMNICOM, IPG AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.
Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about Omnicom, IPG and the proposed transaction, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents (if and when available) filed with the SEC by Omnicom may be obtained free of charge on Omnicom’s website at https://investor.omnicomgroup.com/financials/sec-filings/default.aspx or, alternatively, by directing a request by mail to Omnicom’s Corporate Secretary at Omnicom Group Inc., 280 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Copies of the registration statement and joint proxy statement/prospectus (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by IPG may be obtained free of charge on IPG’s website at https://investors.interpublic.com/sec-filings/financial-reports or, alternatively, by directing a request by mail to IPG’s Corporate Secretary at The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., 909 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Attention: SVP & Secretary.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE SOLICITATION
Omnicom, IPG and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Omnicom, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under the heading “Information About Our Executive Officers,” and proxy statement for Omnicom’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024, including under the headings “Executive Compensation,” “Omnicom Board of Directors,” “Directors’ Compensation for Fiscal Year 2023” and “Stock Ownership Information.” To the extent holdings of Omnicom common stock by the directors and executive officers of Omnicom have changed from the amounts reflected therein, such changes have been or will be reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3 (“Form 3”), Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4 (“Form 4”) or Annual Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 5 (“Form 5”), subsequently filed by Omnicom’s directors and executive officers with the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of IPG, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in IPG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, including under the heading “Executive Officers of the Registrant,” and proxy statement for IPG’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 12, 2024, including under the headings “Board Composition,” “Non-Management Director Compensation,” “Executive Compensation” and “Outstanding Shares and Ownership of Common Stock.” To the extent holdings of IPG common stock by the directors and executive officers of IPG have changed from the amounts reflected therein, such changes have been or will be reflected on Forms 3, Forms 4 or Forms 5, subsequently filed by IPG’s directors and executive officers with the SEC.
iii
PART I
Introduction
This report is our 2024 annual report to shareholders and our 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K, or 2024 10-K.
Omnicom Group Inc., a New York corporation, was formed in 1986. The terms “Omnicom,” “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” each refer to Omnicom Group Inc. and its subsidiaries unless the context indicates otherwise.
Item 1. Business
Agreement to Acquire IPG
On December 8, 2024, Omnicom entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, or the Merger Agreement, by and among Omnicom, EXT Subsidiary Inc., a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicom, or Merger Sub, and IPG, pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into IPG, or the Merger, with IPG surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicom. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, IPG shareholders will receive 0.344 shares of Omnicom common stock for each share of IPG common stock they own. Following the close of the Merger, Omnicom shareholders are expected to own approximately 60.6% of the combined company and IPG shareholders are expected to own approximately 39.4%, on a fully diluted basis. The completion of the Merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals and the approval of the stockholders of both Omnicom and IPG. If completed, the Merger is expected to have a material impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our Business
We are a strategic holding company providing data-inspired, creative marketing and sales solutions to many of the largest global companies. Our portfolio of companies includes our global networks, BBDO, DDB and TBWA, Omnicom Media Group, the DAS Group of Companies, and the Communications Consultancy Network. All of our global networks integrate their service offerings with the Omnicom branded practice areas, including Omnicom Health Group, Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, Omnicom Commerce Group, Omnicom Advertising Collective, Omnicom Public Relations Group, Omnicom Brand Consulting Group, Flywheel Digital and Omnicom Production, a practice area that brings together Omnicom’s global production capabilities, as well as our Experiential businesses and Execution & Support businesses, which includes Omnicom Specialty Marketing Group. In August 2024, we announced the formation of Omnicom Advertising Group, or OAG, a new global organization that aligns the world-class creative networks BBDO, DDB and TBWA, as well as leading agencies within the Omnicom Advertising Collective. OAG began operations in January 2025.
We operate in a highly competitive industry and compete against other global, national and regional advertising, marketing and communications services companies, as well as technology, social media and professional services companies. The proliferation of media channels, including the rapid development and integration of interactive technologies and media, has fragmented consumer audiences targeted by our clients. These developments make it more complex for marketers to reach their target audiences in a cost-effective way, causing them to turn to Omnicom for a customized mix of marketing and communications services designed to optimize their total marketing expenditure.
On a global, pan-regional, and local basis, our networks, practice areas and agencies provide a comprehensive range of services in the following fundamental disciplines: Media & Advertising, Precision Marketing, Public Relations, Healthcare, Branding & Retail Commerce, Experiential, and Execution & Support. Media & Advertising includes creative services across digital and traditional media, strategic media planning and buying, performance media, data analytics services, and Omnicom Production. Precision Marketing includes digital and direct marketing, digital transformation consulting, e-commerce operations, media execution, market intelligence and data and analytics. Public Relations services include corporate communications, crisis management, public affairs and media and media relations services. Healthcare includes corporate communications and advertising and media services to global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Branding & Retail Commerce services include brand and product consulting, strategy and research and retail marketing. Experiential marketing services include live and digital events and experience design and execution. Execution & Support includes field marketing, sales support, digital and physical merchandising, point-of-sale and product placement, as well as other specialized marketing and custom communications services. We operate in all major markets and have a large client base. Our geographic markets include the Americas, which includes North America and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, or EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Our business model was built and continues to evolve around our clients. While our networks, practice areas and agencies operate under different names and frame their ideas in different disciplines, we organize our services around our clients. Our fundamental business principle is that our clients’ specific requirements are the central focus of how we structure our service offerings and allocate our resources. This client-centric business model requires that multiple agencies within Omnicom collaborate in formal and informal virtual client networks utilizing our key client matrix organization structure. This collaboration allows us to cut across our internal organizational structures to execute our clients’ marketing requirements in a consistent and comprehensive manner. We use our client-centric approach to grow our business by expanding our service offerings to existing clients, moving into new markets and obtaining new clients. In addition, we pursue selective acquisitions of complementary companies with strong entrepreneurial management teams that fill gaps in our service delivery to our existing clients. In addition to
collaborating through our client service models, our agencies, practice areas and networks collaborate across internally developed technology platforms. Annalect and Omni, our proprietary data and analytics platforms, serve as the strategic resource for all of our agencies, practice areas and networks to share when developing client service strategies across our virtual networks. These platforms provide precision marketing and insights at scale across creative, media and other disciplines.
We believe generative AI will have a significant effect on how we provide services to our clients and how we enhance the productivity of our people. As with any new technology, we are working closely with our clients and technology partners to take advantage of the benefits of AI while being mindful of its limitations and risks, and privacy concerns. We are committed to responsible AI practices and collaboration to harness AI's potential, while evaluating related risks, such as ethical considerations, public perception and reputational concerns, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, privacy and data security concerns and our ability to effectively adopt this new emerging technology. The rapidly developing nature of AI technology makes it difficult to assess the full impact on our business at this time.
Driven by our clients’ continuous demand for more effective and efficient marketing activities, we strive to provide an extensive range of marketing and communications services through various client-centric networks that are organized to meet specific client objectives.
Our service offerings include:
| advertising | marketing research | ||||||||||
| branding | media planning and buying | ||||||||||
| content marketing | merchandising and point of sale | ||||||||||
| corporate social responsibility consulting | mobile marketing | ||||||||||
| crisis communications | multi-cultural marketing | ||||||||||
| custom publishing | non-profit marketing | ||||||||||
| data analytics | organizational communications | ||||||||||
| database management | package design | ||||||||||
| digital/direct marketing and post-production services | product placement | ||||||||||
| digital transformation consulting | promotional marketing | ||||||||||
| entertainment marketing | public affairs | ||||||||||
| experiential marketing | public relations | ||||||||||
| field marketing | retail marketing | ||||||||||
| financial/corporate business-to-business advertising | retail media and e-commerce | ||||||||||
| graphic arts/digital imaging | search engine marketing | ||||||||||
| healthcare marketing and communications | shopper marketing | ||||||||||
| instore design | studio production | ||||||||||
| interactive marketing | social media marketing | ||||||||||
| investor relations | sports and event marketing |
Certain business trends have impacted our business and industry. These trends include clients increasingly expanding the focus of their brand strategies from national markets to pan-regional and global markets and integrating traditional and non-traditional marketing channels, as well as utilizing new communications technologies and emerging digital platforms. As clients increase their demands for marketing effectiveness and efficiency, they tend to pursue a strategy that covers all consumer touch points in an economically effective manner. Our portfolio of businesses provides clients with an array of strategic options and we have structured our business around these trends. We believe that our key client matrix organization structure approach to collaboration and integration of our services and solutions have provided a competitive advantage to our business in the past and we expect this to continue over the medium and long term. Our key client matrix organization structure facilitates superior client management and allows for greater integration across our service platforms. Our overarching strategy is to continue to use our virtual client networks to grow our business relationships with our largest clients by serving them across our networks, disciplines and geographies.
We continually evaluate our portfolio of businesses to identify areas for investment and acquisition opportunities, as well as to identify non-strategic or underperforming businesses for disposition. In January 2024, we acquired Flywheel Digital, the digital commerce business of Ascential plc, for a net cash purchase price of approximately $845 million. For information about our acquisitions and dispositions, see Item 7, “MD&A - Acquisitions and Goodwill” and Notes 5, 14 and 15 to the consolidated financial statements. In each of the three years ended December 31, 2024, none of our acquisitions or dispositions, individually or in the aggregate, were material to our results of operations or financial condition.
The various components of our business, including revenue by discipline and geographic area, and material factors that affected us in the three years ended December 31, 2024, are discussed in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”).
Our Clients
Our clients operate in virtually every sector of the global economy. In many cases, multiple agencies, practice areas or networks serve different brands, product groups or both within the same client. For example, in 2024, our largest client represented 2.7% of revenue and was served by approximately 155 of our agencies. Our 100 largest clients, which represent many of the major marketers, represented approximately 54% of revenue and were each served, on average, by approximately 55 of our agencies. Although we have a large and diverse client base, we are not immune to general economic downturns.
Government Regulations
We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations in the countries in which we conduct business. Compliance with these laws and regulations in the normal course of business did not have a material effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Additional information regarding the impact of government regulations on our business is included in Item 1A, “Risk Factors - Legal and Regulatory Risks.”
Human Capital Resources and Environmental Sustainability Initiatives
Our employees are our most important assets. We believe a critical component of our success depends on the ability to attract, develop and retain key personnel. The skill sets of our workforce across our agencies and within each discipline share many similarities. Common to all is the ability to understand the client’s brand or product and its selling proposition and to develop a unique message to communicate the value of the brand or product to the client’s target audience, whether through traditional channels or digital platforms. Recognizing the importance of this core competency, we support and develop our employees through training and development programs that build and strengthen employees’ leadership and professional skills.
Human capital management strategies are developed collectively by senior management, including the management teams of our networks, practice areas, and agencies, and are overseen by our Board of Directors. We are committed to efforts that ensure that the workplace is equitable, ethical, fosters an inclusive work environment across our global workforce and respects human rights. Our social and human capital management priorities include, among other things, adopting codes of conduct and business ethics, providing competitive wages and benefits, comprehensive training programs and succession planning.
At December 31, 2024, we employed approximately 74,900 people worldwide, including 31,200 people in the Americas, 26,800 people in EMEA, and 16,900 people in Asia-Pacific. The United States is our largest employee base, where we employed approximately 21,900 people. None of our regular employees in the United States are represented by a labor union. In certain countries outside the United States, primarily in Europe, some employees are represented by work councils. See MD&A for the effect of salary and related costs on our results of operations.
Our environmental sustainability initiatives focus on emissions reductions through efficiency of office space, energy usage, travel and vendor engagement. In connection with our environmental sustainability efforts, we are a signatory to the UN Global Compact, a principle-based framework to encourage businesses and firms worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. We support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a collection of global goals designed to be a blueprint to achieve a better, more inclusive and sustainable future. Our emissions reductions strategy, in line with the 1.5 degree Celsius climate scenario, was submitted to and approved by the Science Based Target initiative, or SBTi, which publicly audits companies on their emissions reduction efforts. Various regulatory bodies have proposed or enacted climate-related reporting requirements and similar proposals, including the SEC’s climate-related reporting proposal and California’s climate-related disclosure laws. The European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive has established disclosure requirements based on the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, or ESRS. However, reporting standards based on ESRS requirements are evolving for sustainability reporting, and regulations in other international markets are still evolving. We are monitoring the requirements in all the jurisdictions we operate and evaluating the impacts of those requirements and related reporting timelines.
Information About Our Executive Officers
At January 30, 2025, our executive officers were:
| Name | Position | Age | ||||||||||||
| John D. Wren | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | 72 | ||||||||||||
| Daryl Simm | President and Chief Operating Officer | 63 | ||||||||||||
| Philip J. Angelastro | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 60 | ||||||||||||
| Louis F. Januzzi | Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | 51 |
Mr. Simm was named President and Chief Operating Officer in November 2021 and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom Media Group for more than 20 years. Mr. Januzzi was named Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in December 2022 and previously served as Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel - Corporate from May 2021 to December 2022 and as Associate General Counsel - Corporate Development & Finance from March 2016 to May 2021. All other executive officers have held their present positions for at least five years. Additional information about our directors and executive officers will appear in our definitive proxy statement, which is expected to be filed with the SEC in March 2025.
Available Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports and any amendments to those reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Documents we file with the SEC are available free of charge on our website at http://investor.omnicomgroup.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with the SEC. Any document we file with the SEC is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The information included on or available through our website is not part of this or any other report we file with the SEC.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Economic Risks
Adverse economic conditions, a reduction in client spending, a deterioration in the credit markets or a delay in client payments could have a material effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Macroeconomic conditions have a direct impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Adverse economic conditions, including geopolitical events, international hostilities, acts of terrorism, public health crises, inflation or stagflation, tariffs and other trade barriers, central bank interest rate policies in countries that comprise our major markets and labor and supply chain issues affecting the distribution of our clients’ products, or a disruption in the credit markets, pose a risk that clients may reduce, postpone or cancel spending for marketing and communications services. Such actions would reduce the demand for our services and could result in a reduction in our revenue, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. A contraction or disruption in the credit markets may make it more difficult for us to meet our working capital requirements or refinance maturing debt, or negatively impact our clients’ liquidity that could cause them to delay payment or take other actions that would negatively affect our working capital. In such circumstances, we may need to obtain additional financing to fund our day-to-day working capital requirements, which may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. Even if we take action to respond to adverse economic conditions, reductions in revenue and disruptions in the credit markets by aligning our cost structure and more efficiently managing our working capital, such actions may not be effective.
A period of sustained inflation across our major markets could result in higher operating costs.
Our principal operating expenses are salary and service costs and occupancy and related costs. Inflationary pressures typically result in increases to our operating expenses. In cases of sustained inflation across several of our major markets, it may become increasingly difficult to effectively control increases to our costs. In addition, the effects of inflation on consumer budgets could result in the reduction of our clients’ spending plans on the marketing and communications services we provide. If we are unable to increase our fees or take other actions to mitigate the effect of the resulting higher costs, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted.
In an economic downturn, the risk of a material loss related to media purchases and production costs incurred on behalf of our clients could significantly increase, and methods for managing or mitigating such risk may be less available or unavailable.
In the normal course of business, our agencies enter into contractual commitments with media providers and production companies on behalf of our clients at levels that can substantially exceed the revenue from our services. These commitments are included in accounts payable when the services are delivered by the media providers or production companies. If permitted by local law and the client agreement, many of our agencies purchase media and production services for our clients as an agent for a disclosed principal. In addition, while operating practices vary by country, media type and media vendor, in the United States and certain foreign markets, many of our agencies’ contracts with media and production providers specify that our agencies are not liable to the media and production providers under the theory of sequential liability until and to the extent we have been paid by our client for the media or production services.
Where purchases of media and production services are made by our agencies as a principal or are not subject to the theory of sequential liability, the risk of a material loss as a result of payment default by our clients could increase significantly, and such a loss could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
While we use various methods to manage the risk of payment default, including obtaining credit insurance, requiring payment in advance, mitigating the potential loss in the marketplace or negotiating with media providers, these may be insufficient, less available, or unavailable during a severe economic downturn.
Geopolitical events, international hostilities or acts of terrorism could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Current or future geopolitical events, international hostilities or acts of terrorism could impact global economies through, among other things, disruption of business operations and demand for client services, disruption in the credit markets, heightened risk of cybersecurity attacks and disruptions to our information technology infrastructure, increased energy costs and labor and supply chain disruptions. This could result in suspension of our, or our clients’ businesses in the affected region, which could impact client spending on our services. These actions could have a significant and adverse impact our business, results of operations and financial condition in the future. For example, as a result of the war in Ukraine, in the first quarter of 2022, we suspended our business operations in Ukraine and disposed of all our businesses in Russia. In addition, economic sanctions were imposed on Russia by the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union. The war in Ukraine is ongoing, and its duration is uncertain. We cannot predict the impact of the war in Ukraine or other international hostilities on our businesses and operations.
Global public health crises or pandemics or other similar health crises could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
When a public health crisis arises, demand for certain of our services may be adversely affected by government measures, including restrictions on travel and business operations and quarantine and stay-at-home orders arising from the occurrence of a pandemic, or similar global public health crises. The extent of the impact on our business will depend on numerous factors that we are not able to accurately predict, including the geographic regions that may be affected.
Business and Operational Risks
Clients periodically review and change their marketing and communications requirements and relationships. If we are unable to remain competitive or retain key clients, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
We operate in a highly competitive industry. Key competitive considerations for retaining existing clients and winning new clients include our ability to develop solutions that meet client needs in a rapidly changing environment, the quality and effectiveness of our services and our ability to serve clients efficiently, particularly large multinational clients, on a broad geographic basis. From time to time, clients may put their marketing and communications business up for competitive review. We have won and lost accounts as a result of these reviews. To the extent that we are not able to remain competitive or retain key clients, our revenue may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Acquiring new clients and retaining existing clients depends on our ability to avoid and manage conflicts of interest arising from other client relationships, retaining key personnel and maintaining a highly skilled workforce.
Our ability to acquire new clients and retain existing clients may, in some cases, be limited by clients’ perceptions of, or policies concerning, conflicts of interest arising from our other client relationships. If we are unable to maintain multiple agencies to manage multiple client relationships and avoid potential conflicts of interests, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.
As a service business, our ability to attract and retain key personnel is an important aspect of our competitiveness. If we are unable to attract and retain key personnel, our ability to provide our services in the manner clients have come to expect may be adversely affected, which could harm our reputation and result in a loss of clients, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The loss of several of our largest clients could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In 2024, our largest client represented approximately 2.7% and our 100 largest clients represented approximately 54% of our revenue. Clients generally are able to reduce or cancel current or future spending on marketing and communications services at any time on short notice for any reason. A significant reduction in spending on our services by our largest clients, or the loss of several of our largest clients, if not replaced by new clients or an increase in business from existing clients, would adversely affect our revenue and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We rely extensively on information technology systems, and cybersecurity incidents could adversely affect us.
We rely on our own and third-party service providers’ information technology systems and infrastructure to connect with our clients, people and others, and to collect, store, transfer, process and use business, personal and financial data. We face cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our information technology systems or data stored on such systems. Additionally, hardware, software applications or services that we develop or procure from third parties may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of our information technology systems or data stored on such systems.
Cybersecurity threats and attacks, including computer viruses, advanced persistent threats, malware, hacking, ransomware or other destructive or disruptive activities or software, are constantly evolving and pose a risk to our information technology systems and data. There can be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in detecting and preventing such threats or protecting our information technology systems or data. Security breaches, improper use of our systems and unauthorized access to our data and information by employees and others may pose a risk that data may be exposed to unauthorized persons. Such occurrences could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation and could result in litigation or regulatory action, as discussed below. Also, we have acquired or may acquire companies that have cybersecurity vulnerabilities or different cybersecurity risk management processes, which may increase our risks from cybersecurity threats and attacks.
In addition, we make extensive use of third-party service providers, including cloud providers, that store, transmit and process data. These third-party service providers are also subject to malicious attacks and cybersecurity threats that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation and could result in litigation or regulatory action, as discussed below.
Currently, many of our agencies operate in a flexible working environment that allows for partial remote work. The number of personnel working remotely varies by market and is dependent on local conditions. When our employees work remotely, the risk of cybersecurity incidents and attacks and unauthorized exposure of sensitive business and client advertising and marketing information, as well as personal data or information, increases.
We and certain of our third-party providers regularly experience cyberattacks and other incidents, and we expect such attacks and incidents to continue. For example, we have experienced cybersecurity incidents that resulted in the disruption of our information technology systems and required us to engage third parties to remediate the issues. While, to date, no incidents have had a material impact on our operations or financial results, we cannot guarantee that material incidents will not occur in the future. Any attack or incident could result in legal claims or proceedings (such as class actions), regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, fines and penalties, negative reputational impacts, and/or significant incident response, system restoration or remediation and future compliance costs, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We also cannot guarantee that any such costs or losses will be covered by our existing insurance policies or that applicable insurance will be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms or at all.
We are subject to risks related to our use of generative AI, a new and emerging technology, which is in the early stages of commercial use.
We continually evaluate the use of AI in our business processes, and in 2023, we entered into strategic partnerships with leading AI technology companies, enabling enhanced product and service capabilities in generative AI. In recent years, the use of AI has come under increased scrutiny. This technology, which is a new and emerging technology in early stages of commercial use, presents a number of risks inherent in its use, including ethical considerations, public perception and reputation concerns, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance and privacy and data security concerns, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Further, new laws, guidance and decisions in this area may limit our ability to use AI or decrease its usefulness. As a result, we cannot predict future developments in AI and related impacts to our business and our industry. If we fail to increase our capabilities in generative AI, or if we are unable to successfully adapt to new developments related to the risks and challenges associated with AI, demand for our services could be reduced, and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be negatively impacted.
Risks Related to International Operations
Currency exchange rate fluctuations have impacted, and in the future could impact, our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In 2024, our international operations represented approximately 48% of our revenue. We operate in all major international markets including the Euro Zone, the United Kingdom, or the U.K., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Japan. Our agencies transact business in more than 50 different currencies. Substantially all of our foreign operations transact business in their local currency and, accordingly, their financial statements are translated into U.S. Dollars. As a result, both adverse and beneficial fluctuations in foreign exchange rates impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. In addition, funds transferred to the United States can be adversely or beneficially impacted by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.
We operate in high-growth markets and developing countries, which often carry greater risks and uncertainties that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The operational and financial performance of our international businesses are affected by global and regional economic conditions, competition for new business and personnel, currency exchange rate fluctuations, political conditions, differing tax and regulatory environments and other risks associated with extensive international operations. We conduct business in numerous high-growth markets and developing countries. Such countries tend to have longer billing collection cycles, currency repatriation restrictions and commercial laws that can be undeveloped, vague, inconsistently enforced, retroactively applied or frequently changed. Our operations are also subject to the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption and anti-
bribery laws and regulations. These laws and regulations are complex and stringent, and any changes and violations could have an adverse effect on our business and reputation. Our business, results of operations and financial condition can be adversely affected if we are unable to effectively operate, or manage the risks associated with operating in these markets and countries. For financial information by geographic region, see Notes 3 and 8 to the consolidated financial statements.
Risks Related to Acquisitions
We may be unsuccessful in evaluating material risks involved in completed and future acquisitions.
We regularly evaluate potential acquisitions of businesses that are complementary to our businesses and service offerings, and in some cases, associated technological capabilities and assets. As part of the process, we conduct business, legal and financial due diligence to identify and evaluate material risks involved in any particular transaction, including business strategy and operational execution. Despite our efforts, we may be unsuccessful in ascertaining or evaluating all such risks. As a result, the intended advantages of any given acquisition may not be realized. If we fail to identify certain material risks from one or more acquisitions, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
Our goodwill is an intangible asset that may become impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or U.S. GAAP or GAAP, we have recorded a significant amount of goodwill related to our acquisitions; a substantial portion of which represents the intangible specialized know-how of the acquired workforce. As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, we review the carrying value of goodwill for impairment annually on May 1 and whenever events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. The estimates and assumptions about future results of operations and cash flows made in connection with the impairment testing could differ from future actual results of operations and cash flows. While we have concluded, for each year presented in the financial statements included in this report, that our goodwill is not impaired, future events could cause us to conclude that the goodwill associated with a given operation may become impaired. Any resulting non-cash impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to the Proposed Merger with IPG
The Merger may not be completed, and the Merger Agreement may be terminated in accordance with its terms.
The Merger is subject to a number of conditions that must be satisfied or waived prior to the completion of the Merger, including, among others, the approval by our stockholders of our share issuance proposal, the approval by IPG stockholders of the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement, the receipt of requisite regulatory approvals and the approval for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, of the shares of our common stock issuable to IPG stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
These conditions to the completion of the Merger may not be satisfied or waived in a timely manner or at all, and, accordingly, the Merger may be delayed or may not be completed. In addition, if the Merger is not completed by December 8, 2025, which date may be extended to June 8, 2026 in certain circumstances, either we or IPG may choose not to proceed with the Merger by terminating the Merger Agreement, and the parties can mutually decide to terminate the Merger Agreement at any time, before or after stockholder approval. In addition, we and IPG may elect to terminate the Merger in certain other circumstances as set forth in the Merger Agreement. If the Merger Agreement is terminated under specified circumstances, Omnicom would be required to pay IPG a termination fee of $676 million. Additionally, if the Merger Agreement is terminated in circumstances where the Omnicom shareholders have not approved our share issuance proposal, then Omnicom has agreed to reimburse IPG’s expenses up to $25 million.
Failure to complete the Merger could negatively impact the price of shares of our common stock, as well as our business and results of operations.
If the Merger is not completed for any reason, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected and, without realizing any of the benefits of having completed the Merger, we would be subject to a number of risks, including:
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we may experience negative reactions from the financial markets, including negative impacts on the market price of our common stock;
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we may experience negative reactions from clients, vendors, joint venture participants and other third parties with whom we do business, which in turn could affect our business operations or our ability to compete for new business or obtain renewals in the marketplace more broadly;
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we may experience negative reactions from employees;
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we will still be required to pay certain significant costs relating to the Merger, such as legal, accounting, financial advisor and printing fees; and
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we will have expended time and resources that could otherwise have been spent on our existing business and the pursuit of other opportunities that could have been beneficial to us, and our ongoing business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
If the Merger Agreement is terminated under specified circumstances, we may be required to pay IPG a termination fee or other termination‑related payment as discussed above.
Uncertainties associated with the Merger may cause a loss of our and IPG’s management personnel and other key employees, which could adversely affect the business and operations of the combined company following the Merger.
Each of Omnicom and IPG depends on the experience and industry knowledge of its officers and other key employees to execute its business plans. The success of the combined company after the Merger will depend, in part, on its ability to retain key management personnel and other key employees. Our and IPG’s current and prospective employees may experience uncertainty about their roles within the combined company following the Merger or other concerns regarding the timing and completion of the Merger or the operations of the combined company following the Merger, any of which may have an adverse effect on our and IPG’s ability to retain or attract key management and other key personnel. If we or IPG are unable to retain personnel, including our or IPG’s key management, who are critical to the future operations of the companies, we and IPG could face disruptions in our respective operations, loss of existing clients, loss of key information, expertise or know‑how and unanticipated additional recruitment and training costs. In addition, the loss of our and IPG’s key personnel could diminish the anticipated benefits of the Merger. No assurance can be given that the combined company, following the Merger, will be able to retain or attract our and IPG’s key management personnel and other key employees to the same extent that we and IPG have previously been able to retain or attract personnel.
Our and IPG’s business relationships may be subject to disruption due to uncertainty associated with the Merger, which could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows or those of the combined company following the Merger.
Parties with whom we or IPG do business may experience uncertainty associated with the Merger, including with respect to current or future business relationships with us or IPG following the Merger. Our and IPG’s business relationships may be subject to disruption as clients, vendors, landlords, joint venture participants and other third parties with whom we or IPG do business may attempt to delay or defer entering into new business relationships, negotiate changes in existing business relationships or consider entering into business relationships with parties other than us or IPG. These disruptions could have a material and adverse effect on our and IPG’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, regardless of whether the Merger is completed, as well as a material and adverse effect on the combined company’s ability to realize the expected cost savings, operating synergies and other benefits of the Merger. The risk, and adverse effects, of any disruption could be exacerbated by a delay in completion of the Merger or termination of the Merger Agreement.
The Merger Agreement subjects us to restrictions on business activities prior to the effective time of the Merger.
The Merger Agreement restricts us from entering into certain corporate transactions and taking other specified actions without the consent of IPG and generally requires us to continue our operations in the ordinary course through the completion of the Merger. These restrictions could be in place for an extended period of time if completion of the Merger is delayed and could prevent us from pursuing attractive business opportunities that may arise prior to the completion of the Merger.
We are expected to incur significant costs in connection with the Merger and integration of the two companies, which may be in excess of those anticipated by us.
We have incurred and expect to continue to incur costs associated with negotiating and completing the Merger and combining the operations of the two companies. These costs have been, and will continue to be, substantial. The substantial majority of costs will consist of transaction costs related to the Merger and include, among others, fees paid to financial, legal and accounting advisors, filing fees, employee retention and other employment-related costs, and debt restructuring costs. Many of these costs will be borne by us even if the Merger is not completed.
We will also incur transaction costs related to formulating and implementing integration plans, including facilities, systems and service contract consolidation costs and employment‑related costs. We will continue to assess the magnitude of these costs, and additional unanticipated costs may be incurred in connection with the Merger and the integration of the two companies’ businesses. Although we expect that the elimination of duplicative costs, as well as the realization of other synergies related to the integration of the businesses, should allow the combined company to offset integration‑related costs over time, this net benefit may not be achieved in the near term, or at all. For additional information, see “Risk Factors - The failure to integrate our and IPG’s businesses and operations successfully in the expected time frame may adversely affect the combined company’s business and results of operations.” The costs described above, as well as other unanticipated costs and expenses, could adversely affect the results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the combined company following the completion of the Merger.
Litigation relating to the Merger, if any, could result in an injunction preventing the completion of the Merger and/or substantial costs to us.
Securities class action lawsuits and derivative lawsuits are often brought against public companies that have entered into acquisition, merger or other business combination agreements like the Merger Agreement. Even if such a lawsuit is without merit, defending against these claims can result in substantial costs and divert management time and resources. An adverse judgment could result in monetary damages, which could have a negative impact on our liquidity and financial condition. Lawsuits that may be brought against us, IPG, or our or their directors could also seek, among other things, injunctive relief or other equitable relief, including a request to rescind parts of the Merger Agreement already implemented and to otherwise enjoin the parties from consummating the Merger. One of the conditions to the closing of the Merger is that no Law or Order (each as defined in the Merger Agreement) is promulgated, entered, enforced, enacted or issued by any governmental entity of competent jurisdiction in which we, IPG, or our or their subsidiaries have material assets or material business operations, which prohibits, restrains or makes illegal the consummation of the Merger. Consequently, if a plaintiff is successful in obtaining an injunction prohibiting completion of the Merger, that injunction may delay or prevent the Merger from being completed within the expected timeframe or at all, which may adversely affect our businesses, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition, either we or IPG may terminate the Merger Agreement if any Law or Order has been promulgated, entered, enforced, enacted or issued by any governmental entity of competent jurisdiction in which we, IPG, or our or their subsidiaries have material assets or material business operations, which is in effect and permanently prohibits, restrains, enjoins or makes illegal the consummation of the Merger, so long as our or Merger Sub’s (in the case of a termination by us) or IPG’s (in the case of a termination by IPG) material breach of any obligations under the Merger Agreement has not been the primary cause of, or resulted in, the enactment or issuance of such Law or Order, decree, ruling, injunction or other action.
There can be no assurance that any of the defendants would be successful in the outcome of any potential future lawsuits. The defense or settlement of any lawsuit or claim that remains unresolved at the time the Merger is completed may adversely affect the combined company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
The failure to integrate our and IPG’s businesses and operations successfully in the expected time frame may adversely affect the combined company’s business and results of operations.
We and IPG have operated and, until the completion of the Merger, will continue to operate independently. Following the completion of the Merger, our and IPG’s businesses may not be integrated successfully. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of our or IPG’s key employees, the loss of clients, service providers, vendors or other business counterparties, the disruption of either company’s or both companies’ ongoing businesses, inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies, potential unknown liabilities and unforeseen expenses, delays, or regulatory conditions associated with and following completion of the Merger; or higher‑than‑expected integration costs and an overall post‑completion integration process that takes longer than originally anticipated. Specifically, the following challenges, among others, must be addressed in integrating our and IPG’s operations in order to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger:
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combining the companies’ operations and corporate functions and the resulting difficulties associated with managing a larger, more complex, diversified business;
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combining our and IPG’s businesses in a manner that permits the combined company to achieve the cost savings and operating synergies anticipated to result from the Merger;
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avoiding delays in connection with the completion of the Merger or the integration process;
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integrating personnel from the two companies and minimizing the loss of key employees;
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identifying and eliminating redundant functions and assets;
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harmonizing the companies’ operating practices, employee development and compensation programs, internal controls and other policies, procedures and processes;
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maintaining existing agreements with clients, service providers, vendors and other business counterparties and avoiding delays in entering into new agreements with prospective clients, service providers, vendors and other business counterparties;
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addressing possible differences in business backgrounds, corporate cultures and management philosophies; and
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consolidating the companies’ operating, administrative and information technology infrastructure and financial systems.
In addition, at times the attention of certain members of either company’s or both companies’ management and resources may be focused on completion of the Merger and the integration of the businesses of the two companies and may reduce their availability for day‑to‑day business operations or other opportunities that may be beneficial, which may disrupt each company’s ongoing operations and the operations of the combined company.
The Merger may result in a loss of our and IPG’s clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties, and may result in the termination of existing contracts.
Following the Merger, some of our and IPG’s clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties may terminate or scale back their current or prospective business relationships with the combined company. In addition, we and IPG have contracts with clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties that may require us or IPG to obtain consents from these other parties in connection with the Merger, which may not be obtained on favorable terms or at all. If relationships with clients, service providers, vendors, joint venture participants and other business counterparties are adversely affected by the Merger, or if the combined company, following the Merger, loses the benefits of the contracts of Omnicom or IPG, the business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the combined company could be adversely affected.
The combined company may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the Merger.
The success of the Merger will depend, in part, on our ability to realize the cost savings, operating synergies and other benefits from combining our and IPG’s businesses. The anticipated cost savings, operating synergies and other benefits of the Merger may not be realized fully or at all, may take longer to realize than expected, or may result in other adverse effects that we do not currently foresee, in which case, among other things, the Merger may not be accretive to adjusted earnings per share for both us and IPG and may not generate significant cash to return to stockholders via share repurchases or other means. Some of the assumptions that we and IPG have made, such as the achievement of the anticipated benefits related to combining complementary assets to create a portfolio of services and produces that expand client opportunities, and advances in both companies’ ability to innovate and develop new products and services, may not be realized. The integration process may, for each of us and IPG, result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies. In addition, there could be potential unknown liabilities and unforeseen expenses associated with the Merger that could adversely impact the combined company.
The future results of the combined company following the Merger will suffer if the combined company does not effectively manage its expanded operations.
Following the Merger, the size and complexity of the combined company will increase significantly compared to the separate businesses of each of Omnicom and IPG. The combined company’s future success will depend, in part, upon its ability to manage this expanded business, which will pose substantial challenges for management, including challenges related to the management of a larger number of operations and geographies and associated increased costs and complexity. The combined company may also face increased scrutiny from, and/or additional regulatory requirements of, governmental authorities as a result of the significant increase in the size and complexity of the business. There can be no assurances that the combined company will be successful or that it will realize the expected operating synergies, cost savings or other benefits currently anticipated from the Merger.
Legal and Regulatory Risks
Laws and regulations and actions of consumer advocates may limit the scope and content of our services, affect our ability to meet our clients’ needs, result in third-party claims, litigation, regulatory proceedings or government investigations, or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Government agencies and consumer groups directly or indirectly affect or attempt to affect the scope, content and manner of presentation of marketing and communications services, through regulation or other governmental action, which could affect our ability to meet our clients’ needs. Such regulation may seek, among other things, to limit the tax deductibility of advertising expenditures by certain industries or for certain products and services. In addition, there has been a tendency on the part of businesses to resort to the judicial system to challenge advertising practices and claims, which could cause our clients affected by such actions to reduce their spending on our services, and from time to time we may be subject to claims, lawsuits, regulatory proceedings or government investigations into whether our business practices comport with applicable law. Regardless of the merit of such claims, lawsuits, proceedings or investigations, defending against them could cost us a significant amount of time and money and result in negative publicity. Any regulatory or judicial action that affects our ability to meet our clients’ needs or reduces client spending on our services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Compliance with ever evolving federal, state, and foreign laws relating to the handling of information about individuals involves significant expenditure and resources, and any failure by us or our vendors to comply could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We, and third-party vendors on our behalf, process information related to individuals, including from and about individuals we may advertise to, actual and prospective clients, employees, and service providers. We and our vendors are subject to a variety of federal, state, and foreign laws, rules, regulations, industry standards, and other requirements related to privacy, use of personal information, marketing and advertising, and internet tracking technologies. These requirements, and their application, interpretation, and amendments are constantly evolving and developing.
Among other things, such laws generally: require disclosures about the data collection, use, and disclosure practices of covered businesses, and provide individuals expanded rights to access, delete, and correct their personal information, and opt out of certain sales or transfers of personal information.
Our obligations related to data privacy and security are quickly changing in an increasingly stringent fashion, creating some uncertainty as to the future legal framework governing such matters. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources. These obligations may necessitate changes to our practices and to those of any third parties that process personal data on our behalf. In addition, these laws, rules, and regulations could also affect the acceptance of new communications technologies and the use of current communications technologies as advertising media.
Any failure or perceived failure by us, or third parties on which we depend, to comply with data privacy laws, rules, regulations, industry standards and other requirements could result in legal claims or proceedings (such as class actions), regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, fines and penalties, negative reputational impacts and future compliance costs, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. We also cannot guarantee that any such costs or losses will be covered by our existing insurance policies or that applicable insurance will be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms or at all. Any of the foregoing could also affect our business and reduce demand for certain of our services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Expectations relating to environmental, social and governance considerations expose us to potential liabilities, reputational harm and other unforeseen adverse effects on our business.
Many governments, regulators, investors, employees, customers and other stakeholders are focused on environmental, social and governance considerations relating to businesses, including climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion. We make statements about our environmental, social and governance goals and initiatives through information provided on our website, press statements and other communications, including through our Corporate Responsibility Report. Responding to these environmental, social and governance considerations and implementation of these goals and initiatives involves risks and uncertainties and requires ongoing investments. The success of our goals and initiatives may be impacted by factors that are outside our control. In addition, some stakeholders may disagree with our goals and initiatives and the focus and views of stakeholders may change and evolve over time and vary depending on the jurisdictions in which we operate. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to achieve our goals, further our initiatives, adhere to our public statements, comply with federal, state or international environmental, social and governance laws and regulations, or meet evolving and varied stakeholder expectations and views could materially adversely affect our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information. Our cybersecurity risk management program includes a cybersecurity incident response plan.
We use the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, or NIST CSF, and the ISO 27001 framework as published by the International Organization for Standardization as guides to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business. We have designed and assessed our program based on the NIST CSF and ISO 27001. This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements.
Our cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program; and shares common methodologies, reporting channels, and governance processes that apply across the enterprise risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.
Key aspects of our cybersecurity risk management program include:
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risk assessments designed to help identify material cybersecurity risks to our critical systems, and information;
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an internal security staff principally responsible for managing our cybersecurity risk assessment processes, our security controls, and our response to cybersecurity incidents;
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the use of external service providers, where appropriate, to assess, test, or otherwise assist with aspects of our security controls;
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cybersecurity awareness training of our employees, incident response personnel, and senior management;
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a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents; and
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a third-party risk management process for key service providers, suppliers, and vendors, including cloud-related service providers.
While we have experienced cybersecurity incidents that resulted in the disruption of our information technology systems and required us to engage third parties to remediate the issues, we have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, results of operations, or financial condition. We face certain ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business, results of operations and financial condition. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors - We rely extensively on information technology systems, and cybersecurity incidents could adversely affect us.”
Cybersecurity Governance
Our Board of Directors, or Board, considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated to its Audit Committee oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks. Our Audit Committee oversees management’s ongoing activities related to our cybersecurity risk management program.
Our Audit Committee receives periodic reports from management on our cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates the Audit Committee, as necessary, regarding cybersecurity incidents.
Our Audit Committee reports to the full Board regarding its activities, including those related to cybersecurity. The full Board also receives briefings from management on our cybersecurity risk management program. Board members receive presentations on cybersecurity topics from our Chief Information Officer, or CIO, Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO, and Chief Information Risk Officer, or CIRO, and other security staff as part of the Board’s continuing education on topics that impact the Company.
Our management team, including our CIO, CISO and CIRO, is responsible for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. The team has primary responsibility for our overall cybersecurity risk management program and supervises both our internal cybersecurity personnel and our retained external cybersecurity advisors. Our Information Technology (IT) management team collectively holds over 50 years of strategic IT and global transformational experience, including having held IT advisory roles with top-tier organizations. Each member of the team has experience operating in complex, international business environments. The IT management team has demonstrated achievement in Information Security strategy development, risk management and implementation of security and risk management programs that drive awareness, decrease exposure and strengthen organizational IT controls.
Our management team is informed about and monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of key cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include briefings from internal security personnel, threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external advisors engaged by us, and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT environment.
Item 2. Properties
We conduct business and maintain offices throughout the world. The facility requirements of our businesses are similar across geographic regions and disciplines. Substantially all our office space is leased under operating leases with varying expiration dates. Lease obligations of our foreign operations are generally denominated in their local currency. We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current operations and are well maintained. Our principal corporate offices are located at 280 Park Avenue, New York, New York; 1055 Washington Boulevard, Stamford, Connecticut; and 525 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida. We also maintain executive offices in London, England; Shanghai, China; and Singapore. Notes 2 and 18 to the consolidated financial statements provide a description of our lease expense, which comprises a significant component of our occupancy and other costs, and our lease commitments.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
In the ordinary course of business, we are involved in various legal proceedings. We do not expect that such proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not Applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock is listed and trades on the NYSE under the symbol OMC. As of January 30, 2025, there were 1,717 shareholders of record.
Common stock repurchase activity during the three months ended December 31, 2024 was:
| Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid Per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Maximum Number of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 1 - October 31, 2024 | 80,022 | $103.46 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1 - November 30, 2024 | 4,983 | 103.07 | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 1 - December 31, 2024 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 85,005 | $103.44 | — | — |
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, we withheld 85,005 shares of common stock from employees to satisfy estimated statutory income tax obligations related to the vesting of restricted stock awards and exercises of stock options. The value of the stock withheld was based on the closing price of our common stock on the applicable vesting date.
There were no unregistered sales of equity securities during the three months ended December 31, 2024.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
(Dollars in tables in millions, except per share amounts.)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Risks and Uncertainties
Global economic disruptions, including geopolitical events, international hostilities, acts of terrorism, public health crises, inflation or stagflation, tariffs and other trade barriers, central bank interest rate policies in countries that comprise our major markets and labor and supply chain challenges could cause economic uncertainty and volatility. The impact of these issues on our business will vary by geographic market and discipline. We monitor economic conditions closely, as well as client revenue levels and other factors. In response to reductions in revenue, we can take actions to align our cost structure with changes in client demand and manage our working capital. However, there can be no assurance as to the effectiveness of our efforts to mitigate any impact of the current and future adverse economic conditions, reductions in client revenue, changes in client creditworthiness and other developments.
Agreement to Acquire IPG
On December 8, 2024, we entered into the Merger Agreement with IPG. Upon closing, each share of IPG common stock will be exchanged for 0.344 shares of Omnicom common stock. The closing of the Merger is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by Omnicom stockholders and IPG stockholders. If completed, the Merger is expected to have a material impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition. For additional information, see Item 1, “Business - Agreement to Acquire IPG.”
Our Business
We are a strategic holding company providing data-inspired, creative marketing and sales solutions to many of the largest global companies. Our portfolio of companies includes our global networks, BBDO, DDB, TBWA, Omnicom Media Group, the DAS Group of Companies, and the Communications Consultancy Network. All of our global networks integrate their service offerings with the Omnicom branded practice areas, including Omnicom Health Group, Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, Omnicom Commerce Group, Omnicom Advertising Collective, Omnicom Public Relations Group, Omnicom Brand Consulting Group, Flywheel Digital and Omnicom Production, a practice area that brings together Omnicom’s global production capabilities, as well as our Experiential businesses and Execution & Support businesses, which includes Omnicom Specialty Marketing Group. In August 2024, we announced the formation of Omnicom Advertising Group, or OAG, a new global organization that aligns the world-class creative networks BBDO, DDB and TBWA, as well as leading agencies within the Omnicom Advertising Collective. OAG began operations in January 2025. In January 2024, we acquired Flywheel Digital, the digital commerce business of Ascential plc, for a net cash purchase price of approximately $845 million.
On a global, pan-regional, and local basis, our networks, practice areas and agencies provide a comprehensive range of services in the following fundamental disciplines: Media & Advertising, Precision Marketing, Public Relations, Healthcare, Branding & Retail Commerce, Experiential, and Execution & Support. Media & Advertising includes creative services across digital and traditional media, strategic media planning and buying, performance media, data analytics services, and Omnicom Production. Precision Marketing includes digital and direct marketing, digital transformation consulting, e-commerce operations, media execution, market intelligence and data and analytics. Public Relations services include corporate communications, crisis
management, public affairs and media and media relations services. Healthcare includes corporate communications and advertising and media services to global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. Branding & Retail Commerce services include brand and product consulting, strategy and research and retail marketing. Experiential marketing services include live and digital events and experience design and execution. Execution & Support includes field marketing, sales support, digital and physical merchandising, point-of-sale and product placement, as well as other specialized marketing and custom communications services. We operate in all major markets and have a large client base. Our geographic markets include the Americas, which includes North America and Latin America, Europe, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
Our business model was built and continues to evolve around our clients. While our networks, practice areas and agencies operate under different names and frame their ideas in different disciplines, we organize our services around our clients. Our fundamental business principle is that our clients’ specific requirements are the central focus of how we structure our service offerings and allocate our resources. This client-centric business model requires that multiple agencies within Omnicom collaborate in formal and informal virtual client networks utilizing our key client matrix organization structure. This collaboration allows us to cut across our internal organizational structures to execute our clients’ marketing requirements in a consistent and comprehensive manner. We use our client-centric approach to grow our business by expanding our service offerings to existing clients, moving into new markets and obtaining new clients. In addition, we pursue selective acquisitions of complementary companies with strong entrepreneurial management teams that could fill gaps in our service delivery to our existing clients.
We believe generative AI will have a significant effect on how we provide services to our clients and how we enhance the productivity of our people. As with any new technology, we are working closely with our clients and technology partners to take advantage of the benefits of AI while being mindful of its limitations, risks, and privacy concerns. We are committed to responsible AI practices and collaboration to harness AI's potential, while evaluating related risks, such as ethical considerations, public perception and reputational concerns, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, privacy and data security concerns and our ability to effectively adopt this new emerging technology. The rapidly developing nature of AI technology makes it difficult to assess the full impact on our business at this time.
We operate in all major markets and have a large client base. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our largest client represented 2.7% of revenue, and our 100 largest clients, which represent many of the world's major marketers, represented approximately 54% of revenue. Our clients operate in virtually every sector of the global economy, with no one industry representing more than 17% of our revenue in 2024. Although our revenue is generally balanced between the United States and international markets and we have a large and diverse client base, we are not immune to general economic downturns.
Global economic conditions have a direct impact on our business and financial performance. Adverse global economic conditions pose a risk that our clients may reduce, postpone or cancel spending on marketing and communications services, which would reduce the demand for our services. Revenue is typically lower in the first and third quarters and higher in the second and fourth quarters, reflecting client spending patterns during the year and additional project work that usually occurs in the fourth quarter. Certain global events targeted by major marketers for advertising expenditures, such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, and certain national events, such as the U.S. election process, may affect our revenue year-over-year in certain businesses. Typically, these events do not have a significant impact on our revenue in any period.
Given our size and breadth, we manage our business by monitoring sev
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
We manage our exposure to foreign exchange rate risk and interest rate risk through various strategies, including the use of derivative financial instruments. We use forward foreign exchange contracts as economic hedges to manage the cash flow volatility arising from foreign exchange rate fluctuations. We use net investment hedges to manage the volatility of foreign exchange rates on the investment in our foreign subsidiaries. We do not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. Using derivatives exposes us to the credit risk that counterparties to the derivative contracts will fail to meet their contractual obligations. We manage that risk through careful selection and ongoing evaluation of the counterparty financial institutions based on specific minimum credit standards and other factors.
We evaluate the effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and other relevant market risks on our derivatives. We periodically determine the potential loss from market risk on our derivatives by performing a value-at-risk, or VaR, analysis. VaR is a statistical model that uses historical currency exchange rate data to measure the potential impact on future earnings of our derivative financial instruments assuming normal market conditions. The VaR model is not intended to represent actual losses but is used as a risk estimation and management tool. Based on the results of the model, we estimate with 95% confidence a maximum one-day change in the net fair value of our derivative financial instruments at December 31, 2024 was not material.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
In 2024, our international operations represented approximately 48% of our revenue. Changes in the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. Dollar affect our results of operations and financial condition. For the most part, because the revenue and expenses of our foreign operations are denominated in the same local currency, the economic impact on operating margin is minimized. The effects of foreign currency exchange transactions on our results of operations are discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.
We operate in all major international markets including the U.K., Euro Zone, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Japan. Our agencies transact business in more than 50 different currencies. As an integral part of our global treasury operations, we centralize our cash and use notional multicurrency pools to manage the foreign currency exchange risk that arises from imbalances between subsidiaries and their respective treasury centers. In addition, there are circumstances where revenue and expense transactions are not denominated in the same currency. In these instances, amounts are either promptly settled or hedged with forward foreign exchange contracts. To manage this risk, at December 31, 2024, we had outstanding forward foreign exchange contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $4.7 million. The net fair value of the forward foreign contracts at December 31, 2024 was not material (see Note 22 to the consolidated financial statements). At December 31, 2023, there were no forward foreign exchange contracts outstanding.
Foreign currency derivatives are designated as economic hedges; therefore, any gain or loss in fair value incurred on those instruments is generally offset by decreases or increases in the fair value of the underlying exposure. By using these financial instruments, we reduce financial risk of adverse foreign exchange changes by foregoing any gain which might occur if the markets move favorably. The terms of our forward foreign exchange contracts are generally less than 90 days.
We have fixed-to-fixed cross currency swaps with a notional value of $150 million that hedge a portion of the net investment in our Japanese subsidiaries against volatility in the Yen/U.S. Dollar exchange rate. The swaps are designated and qualify as a hedge of a net investment in a foreign subsidiary and are scheduled to mature in 2025 and 2029. Changes in the fair value of the swaps are recognized in foreign currency translation and are reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), or AOCI. Any gain or loss will remain in AOCI until the complete or substantially complete liquidation of our investment in the underlying operations. We have elected to assess the effectiveness of our net investment hedges based on changes in spot exchange rates. We receive net fixed U.S. Dollar interest payments. We recorded a reduction of interest expense of $6.6 million in each of 2024 and 2023. At December 31, 2024, an asset of $9.3 million is recorded in other assets, and at December 31, 2023, a liability of $6.6 million is recorded in long-term liabilities, for the swap fair value.
Interest Rate Risk
We may use interest rate swaps to manage our interest cost and structure our long-term debt portfolio to achieve a mix of fixed rate and floating rate debt. There were no interest rate swaps in 2024 and 2023. Long-term debt at December 31, 2024 and 2023 consisted entirely of fixed-rate debt.
Credit Risk
We provide marketing and communications services to several thousand clients that operate in nearly every sector of the global economy, and we grant credit to qualified clients in the normal course of business. Due to the diversified nature of our client base, we do not believe that we are exposed to a concentration of credit risk as our largest client represented 2.7% of revenue in 2024. However, during periods of economic downturn, the credit profiles of our clients could change.
In the normal course of business, our agencies enter into contractual commitments with media providers and production companies on behalf of our clients at levels that can substantially exceed the revenue from our services. These commitments are included in accounts payable when the services are delivered by the media providers or production companies. If permitted by
local law and the client agreement, many of our agencies purchase media and production services for our clients as an agent for a disclosed principal. In addition, while operating practices vary by country, media type and media vendor, in the United States and certain foreign markets, many of our agencies’ contracts with media and production providers specify that our agencies are not liable to the media and production providers under the theory of sequential liability until and to the extent we have been paid by our client for the media or production services.
Where purchases of media and production services are made by our agencies as a principal or are not subject to the theory of sequential liability, the risk of a material loss as a result of payment default by our clients could increase significantly and such a loss could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
While we use various methods to manage the risk of payment default, including obtaining credit insurance, requiring payment in advance, mitigating the potential loss in the marketplace or negotiating with media providers, these may be insufficient, less available, or unavailable during a severe economic downturn.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
See Item 15, “Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.”
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in reports we file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within applicable time periods. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, and Chief Financial Officer, or CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management, including our CEO and CFO, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2024. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that decisions can be made timely with respect to required disclosures, as well as ensuring that the recording, processing, summarization and reporting of information required to be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 are appropriate.
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Management, with the participation of our CEO, CFO and our agencies, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024.
Omnicom management excluded Flywheel Digital from its assessment of the effectiveness of Omnicom’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, in accordance with SEC staff guidance allowing management to exclude a recently acquired business from management’s report on internal control over financial reporting. Flywheel Digital constituted two percent of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 and two percent of total assets, excluding acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, as of December 31, 2024.
There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.
KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm that audited our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on Omnicom’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, dated February 5, 2025, which is included on page F-2 of this 2024 10-K.
Item 9B. Other Information
During the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024, none of the Company’s directors or officers adopted, modified, or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or a non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement, in each case as defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions That Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this Item will be included in our definitive proxy statement, which is expected to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2024, in connection with the solicitation of proxies for our 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2025 Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated herein by reference.
Our Code of Business Conduct includes our policy governing the purchase, sale, and/or other dispositions of our securities by directors, officers and employees and is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and New York Stock Exchange listing standards. This policy, included in the “Insider Trading” section of our Code of Business Conduct, is included as Exhibit 19.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this Item will be included in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this Item will be included in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this Item will be included in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Our independent registered public accounting firm is KPMG LLP, New York, NY, Auditor Firm ID: 185.
The information required by this Item will be included in the 2025 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules
| (a)(1) | Financial Statements: | Page | ||||||
| Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting | F-1 | |||||||
| Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | F-2 | |||||||
| Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2024 and 2023 | F-4 | |||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Income for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2024 | F-5 | |||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2024 | F-6 | |||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Equity for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2024 | F-7 | |||||||
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2024 | F-8 | |||||||
| Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | F-9 | |||||||
| (a)(2) | Financial Statement Schedules: | |||||||
| Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2024 | S-1 | |||||||
| All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable. |
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| O****MNICOM G****ROUP I****NC. | ||||||||
| February 5, 2025 | BY: | /s/ PHILIP J. ANGELASTRO | ||||||
| Philip J. Angelastro Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||
| /s/ JOHN D. WREN | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| John D. Wren | ||||||||
| /s/ PHILIP J. ANGELASTRO | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Philip J. Angelastro | ||||||||
| /s/ ANDREW L. CASTELLANETA | Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer) | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Andrew L. Castellaneta | ||||||||
| /s/ MARY C. CHOKSI | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Mary C. Choksi | ||||||||
| /s/ LEONARD S. COLEMAN, JR. | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. | ||||||||
| /s/ MARK D. GERSTEIN | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Mark D. Gerstein | ||||||||
| /s/ RONNIE S. HAWKINS | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Ronnie S. Hawkins | ||||||||
| /s/ DEBORAH J. KISSIRE | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Deborah J. Kissire | ||||||||
| /s/ GRACIA C. MARTORE | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Gracia C. Martore | ||||||||
| /s/ PATRICIA SALAS PINEDA | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Patricia Salas Pineda | ||||||||
| /s/ LINDA JOHNSON RICE | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Linda Johnson Rice | ||||||||
| /s/ CASSANDRA SANTOS | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Cassandra Santos | ||||||||
| /s/ VALERIE M. WILLIAMS | Director | February 5, 2025 | ||||||
| Valerie M. Williams |
MANAGEMENT REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management is responsible for the preparation of the consolidated financial statements and related information of Omnicom Group Inc., or Omnicom. Management uses its best judgment to ensure that the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, Omnicom’s consolidated financial position and results of operations in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
The financial statements have been audited by an independent registered public accounting firm in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Their report expresses the independent accountant’s judgment as to the fairness of management’s reported financial position, results of operations and cash flows. This judgment is based on the procedures described in the fourth and fifth paragraphs of their report.
Omnicom management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer, or CEO, Chief Financial Officer, or CFO, and our agencies, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2024.
Omnicom management excluded Flywheel Digital from its assessment of the effectiveness of Omnicom’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, in accordance with SEC staff guidance allowing management to exclude a recently acquired business from management’s report on internal control over financial reporting. Flywheel Digital constituted two percent of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 and two percent of total assets, excluding acquired goodwill and other intangible assets, as of December 31, 2024.
There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting during our fourth fiscal quarter that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to affect our internal control over financial reporting.
KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm that audited our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on Omnicom’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, dated February 5, 2025.
The Board of Directors of Omnicom has an Audit Committee comprised of five independent directors. The Audit Committee meets periodically with financial management, Internal Audit and the independent auditors to review accounting, control, audit and financial reporting matters.
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and Board of Directors
Omnicom Group Inc.:
Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Omnicom Group Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, and the related notes and financial statement schedule II (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2024, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
The Company acquired Flywheel Digital during 2024, and management excluded from its assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, Flywheel Digital’s internal control over fin
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