17360: Detonating Dentsu Destruction…?

 

Adweek reported Dentsu overhauled its leadership team to stage a turnaround of struggling overseas business.

 

Okay, except the C-suite rejiggering involved elevating an existing executive to the top role, as well as eliminating key positions. Such insular succession rarely leads to success.

 

Then again, hiring an outsider like Dentsu tried in 2020—recruiting Wendy Clark to serve as International Global CEO—didn’t succeed either.

 

Dentsu is beyond dented.

 

Dentsu Overhauls Leadership, Names Takeshi Sano CEO 

 

The company installs its Japan chief to revive its struggling overseas business

 

By Audrey Kemp

 

Dentsu has named Takeshi Sano its new president and global CEO as it reshapes its leadership team, the company announced.

 

Sano, currently CEO of Dentsu Japan and deputy global COO, will step into the role on March 27, 2026, replacing Hiroshi Igarashi.

 

The change comes at a rocky time for the company. Earlier this month, Dentsu reported a ¥327.6 billion ($2.18 billion) net loss for fiscal 2025, largely driven by a ¥310.1 billion ($2.03 billion) goodwill impairment tied to its struggling international operations. The company also suspended its year-end dividend to preserve cash.

 

Dentsu had been exploring a sale of its international business—which includes operations across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC outside Japan for months. According to a report from Campaign Asia, those talks fell apart after potential buyers walked away, and Dentsu is now focused on fixing the business instead of selling it.

 

As part of the leadership reset, the company is eliminating the global COO and global president roles. Regional CEOs and practice leaders will now report directly to Sano. Dentsu has also added new global transformation and corporate affairs roles and is continuing a cost-cutting plan that includes previously announced layoffs.

 

The moves reflect a broader effort to steady its overseas operations after several difficult years.

 

In announcing the changes, Dentsu said the new structure is designed to “enhance execution excellence and drive stronger growth outcomes for our clients.”

 

Sano previously led Dentsu Inc., the company’s core Japanese business, through 11 consecutive quarters of revenue growth. That unit accounts for roughly 40% of group net revenue and more than half of its underlying operating profit, making it the company’s financial backbone.

 

A Dentsu veteran who joined the company in 1992, Sano has spent much of his career focused on business transformation. He now takes on the task of reviving the company’s struggling overseas operations.

 

“Dentsu will continue to sharpen the distinctive value that sets us apart and position ourselves as a true growth partner, supporting clients consistently from strategy through to execution,” he said in a statement.

16207: Wendy Clark Makes Like The Energizer Bunny.

 

Campaign reported former Dentsu International Global CEO Wendy Clark landed a new role at Consello, a financial services advisory firm whose not-very-diverse leadership includes NFL icon Tom Brady. Given how Clark managed to orchestrate corporate restructuring at Dentsu that eliminated her own position—and concocted the short-lived We Are Unlimited experiment—it will be interesting to see her provide sage financial advice to Consello clientele. Clearly, her hucksterism is intact.

 

Wendy Clark lands at financial services advisory firm Consello

 

By Sabrina Sanchez

 

Former Dentsu International global CEO Wendy Clark has started a new role as partner at financial services advisory firm Consello, the company announced on Monday.

 

She joins the firm after departing from Dentsu in September in a company-wide restructuring that led to the elimination of her role in a bid to further integrate Dentsu’s international operations with its headquarters in Japan.

 

In November, Dentsu consolidated its Japanese and global leadership teams under Hiroshi Igarashi.

 

“Having had the privilege of leading two different companies, and working on both the client and advisory sides of the business, has given me some unique insight and perspective that I look forward to leveraging on behalf of Consello and its clients,” Clark said in a press statement. “I am thrilled to begin this next chapter in my career journey.”

 

The news comes just a week after Dentsu also parted ways with global chief creative officer Fred Levron, a key player, alongside Clark, in consolidating Dentsu’s creative capabilities under the Dentsu Creative banner.

 

Moving to a financial advisory firm is an unexpected move from Clark, who is a prominent figure within the ad industry. Prior to her role at Dentsu, Clark also served as a marketing executive at Coca-Cola and CEO at DDB Worldwide.

 

Consello lists its services as investment, M&A advisory and investment banking, growth and business development and digital assets advisory. It does not list clients on its website.

 

In addition to the Consello role, Clark sits on the board of luxury jewelry brand David Yurman. Details of her responsibilities were not immediately shared.

 

Consello did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.

16195: Thank God It’s Freday.

 

Advertising Age and Adweek reported that Dentsu Global CCO Fred Levron and the Japan-based company are splitting up by “mutual agreement,” with a divorce date speculated for mid-April.

 

Levron took the Global CCO role in November 2021—and roughly 10 months ago, he and former Dentsu CEO Wendy Clark orchestrated the dumping of all the global creative agencies into single pile of poop dubbed Dentsu Creative. Clark’s Dentsu tour of duty was slightly longer than Levron’s, yet it kinda looks like both executives executed a corporate restructuring that ultimately led to their own executions.

 

The CEO+CCO CUL8R also underscores how holding companies have created a commoditization of talent. That is, bodies are generic, interchangeable, and expendable—at every level in the organization. Although White bodies still receive preferential treatment.

16031: Dentsu Denial, Dropping Dollars, Dumping Dead Weight.

 

The Drum reported that Dentsu announced a revenue tumble and leadership jumble—although they didn’t publicly connect the two. Soon-to-be-former Dentsu CEO Wendy Clark, however, will deny being part of either scenario.

 

Dentsu revenues tumble and new leadership team unveiled

 

By Sam Bradley

 

Q3 trading update introduces a new squad of international CEOs as the Japanese network reveals that revenues fell in all four of its regions.

 

The Japanese agency network at the core of holding company Dentsu’s business saw revenue growth fall over 15% in the third quarter of 2022, the firm has revealed.

 

The company’s activities in its home market typically account for around 40% of its turnover, but organic revenues fell 15.1% between July and September, meaning that revenues across the entire group decreased 4.7%.

 

Dentsu’s president and chief executive Hiroshi Igarashi also unveiled a 36-strong global leadership team, including top executives from across each of the company’s operating regions. Notably, Peter Hujiboom steps up to lead media across every international market, Norihiro Kuretani will lead Dentsu Japan and Dentsu Creative talisman Fred Levron will lead the company’s creative everywhere outside Japan as global chief creative officer.

 

The new setup marks a more closely integrated relationship between Dentsu International and its core Japanese holdings than under departing Dentsu International chief executive Wendy Clark.

 

Higarashi said: “Today marks an exciting moment for Dentsu Group as we look to bring all 65,000 dedicated talents together under our One Dentsu structure. Led by one global leadership team, One Dentsu will further simplify our Group, driving integration of our diverse capabilities across the Group to deliver top-line growth for our clients.”

 

What do the results show?

 

Dentsu’s overall operating profit for the last three months was ¥40.4bn, around $290m. That’s a 32.8% fall compared with last year. Its operating margin has tumbled from 23.5% to 14.7%, while net profits are down 27.6%.

 

In a trading update released today, Dentsu attributed this decrease to last year’s huge numbers, when the business was surfing a wave of digital spending in the wake of the pandemic. Igarashi chose to point to the nine-month view, emphasizing: “Despite results impacted by exceptional prior year comparables in Q3 2021... the nine month results delivered a strong performance across all service areas.”

 

Dentsu International also failed to keep up the momentum of last year. Its organic revenue in the Americas was down 15.6% compared with last year’s period, while organic revenue fell 3.7% in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and 8.7% across the Asia Pacific region. As a whole, Dentsu International revenues managed just 3.4% growth, itself a decrease of 14.6% on the same period last year. Organic growth in the Americas and APAC has been steadily decreasing since January.

 

The group still expects to see 4%-5% organic growth for the year overall, with an 18% operating margin; its margin for the nine months to September was 17.7%.

 

“While the macro-outlook may remain uncertain, our improved revenue mix, our deep client relationships, strong balance sheet underpinned by the transformation the group has undertaken over the past two years positions us well for the future,” commented Igarashi.

 

Revenues from customer transformation and technology, Dentsu’s in-house term for its digital transformation and CX business, have growth over 20% since the start of the year and now account for 32.6% of the group’s income. Dentsu hopes to draw half its revenue from that area in the future.

15963: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow—Or By End Of Year.

 

Missed this recent report from Campaign that confirmed Dentsu plans to eliminate its International Global CEO role—i.e., Wendy Clark’s job—as part of a corporate restructuring. In other words, Clark resigned to avoid being rendered redundant.

 

Holding companies have fueled a commoditization of talent—i.e., the average staffer is a generic, replaceable drone—and now CEOs are increasingly forgettable and pointless too.

 

Dentsu to drop international CEO role in restructure as Wendy Clark heads for exit

 

By Ishwari Khatu

 

Hiroshi Igarashi, CEO of the Japanese parent, is set to take direct control

 

Dentsu is set to drop the role of international chief executive and move to a single, global operation – a restructure that is expected to lead to Wendy Clark, the current international CEO, heading for the exit.

 

Campaign broke the news on 1 September that she was poised to step down as global CEO of Dentsu International after only two years, although there has been no confirmation yet from Dentsu or Clark that she is leaving her role.

 

Dentsu Group Inc, the Japanese parent company, is expected to announce in the coming days that she is stepping down as part of a global reorganisation that will bring together its two subsidiaries, Dentsu International and Dentsu Japan, as one operation.

 

Currently, Hiroshi Igarashi, chief executive and president of Dentsu Group Inc, oversees the two subsidiaries: Dentsu International under the leadership of Clark, with the CEOs of the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA reporting to her, and Dentsu Japan under the leadership of Norihiro Kuretani.

 

Under the likely new structure, Igarashi is set to take direct control of all four of Dentsu’s regions globally – the Americas, Asia Pacific, EMEA and Japan.

 

Dentsu has been pushing a “One Dentsu” strategy to bring its international and Japanese businesses closer together and industry sources said the move to four regions under one global leader would be a logical outcome.

 

A spokesperson for Dentsu declined to comment about its restructure plans and referred Campaign to a previous statement, issued in response to the earlier story about Clark’s expected exit.

 

“A cross-functional global team of our executive leaders has been working on our long-term roadmap for Dentsu,” the company said. “We have strong confidence that this will continue our progress in driving growth and making client impact. We expect to communicate more fully as we finalise this planning process.”

 

Dentsu Group Inc already reports the financial performance of its four regions at its quarterly results.

 

Japan represents 43% of global revenue less cost of sales, the Americas 25%, EMEA 22% and Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) 10%, according to Dentsu’s 2021 results.

 

Jacki Kelley is CEO of the Americas, Giulio Malegori is CEO of EMEA and Robert Gilby is CEO of APAC.

 

Leadership change at the top of Dentsu Group Inc

 

The expected restructure follows a series of significant changes at the top of Dentsu Group Inc at the start of 2022.

 

Igarashi, who was previously head of the Japanese business and co-chief operating officer of Dentsu Group Inc, became CEO and president of the parent company.

 

Tim Andree, the chairman of Dentsu International, also moved to become non-executive chairman of Dentsu Group Inc.

 

Andree is one of the key architects of Dentsu International. He oversaw the acquisition of Britain’s Aegis Group in 2013 to create Dentsu Aegis Network, which later rebranded to become Dentsu International in 2020 and continues to be headquartered in London.

 

The international arm reported declining revenues in both 2019 and 2020 and hired Clark from Omnicom’s DDB as part of a turnaround strategy.

 

That has included moving from 160 to six agency brands and a push to generate 50% of revenue from customer transformation and technology services.

 

Dentsu International and Japan have both reported strong revenue growth in 2021 and the first half of 2022.

 

Igarashi told investors at its Q2 results in August: “The transformation the group has undertaken over the past two years positions us well for the future – a simplified business with reduced complexity.”

 

Dentsu is the world’s fourth largest agency group with about 65,000 staff. Around 45,000 work in the international arm, whose flagship agencies include Carat, Dentsu Creative, iProspect and Merkle.

15951: Offshoring, Offboarding & Off-Putting.

 

As previously noted, Dentsu sees a “tremendous competitive advantage” in offshoring 10,000 jobs by the end of 2022. The image above is a PowerPoint slide from a presentation indicating countries currently being tapped for cheaper resources. Hey, the corporation would save lots of money by offshoring Wendy Clark’s role—and if the replacement is female, it could be marked as a diversity double play.

15949: Wendy Clark Submits Her Resignation Via Instagram…?

Advertising Age published follow-up details for the Wendy Clark-Dentsu divorce, essentially sharing Clark’s Instagram post on the topic.

 

In typical Clark fashion, the message is high-end PR—i.e., shameless self-promotion—right down to featuring what looks like a staged, professional and retouched photograph. The post copy was probably handled by a committee of speechwriters and went through rounds of revisions—and maybe even run by legal counsel.

 

The gushing accolades and allegedly unprecedented achievements made zero mentions of diversity, equity or inclusion.

 

Not. Surprising. At. All.

15948: Dentsu Restructuring, Redundancy Or Ridiculous…?

 

Advertising Age reported that Dentsu International Global CEO Wendy Clark is saying sayonara to the Japanese holding company.

 

It’s unclear whether Clark is exiting by choice or if all the corporate restructuring was leading to the elimination of her position. That is, she may be bailing before getting booted. Hilarious if Clark’s strategic rejiggering triggered her redundancy and/or resignation.

 

Whatever. The scenario presents another example of Clark failing to deliver on her restless ambition to bring diversity—or more specifically, divershitty—to the industry. At Dentsu, it appears she only managed to appoint a Chief Equity Officer and post the clichéd commitment to progress depicted below on the company website.

 

In short, Clark has gone from restless to reckless to feckless.

 

Wendy Clark Is Leaving Dentsu International As Holding Company Restructures

 

Well-known ad exec’s departure comes as Japanese ad giant looks to unite operations into a single unit

 

By Judann Pollack and E.J. Schultz

 

Dentsu International Global CEO Wendy Clark is leaving the holding company amid what multiple people cite as an imminent restructuring that will unite the international group she runs with Dentsu Group’s Japan-based operations.

 

Clark could not be reached for comment, and a spokesman for Dentsu in London declined to comment beyond this statement: “A cross-functional global team of our executive leaders has been working on our long-term roadmap for Dentsu. We have strong confidence that this will continue our progress in driving growth and making client impact. We expect to communicate more fully as we finalize this planning process.”

 

Clark, one of the highest-profile executives in the agency industry, will depart almost exactly two years after joining Dentsu from DDB. It amounts to an abrupt exit by Clark, who had pushed through major changes at London-based Dentsu International, including consolidating multiple Dentsu shops, including DentsuMB, 360i and Isobar, under the Dentsu name. During her tenure, Dentsu’s global agency brands were consolidated from 160 to six and Dentsu Media went from 11 shops to four.

 

Those consolidations were positioned as a way for the holding company to emphasize its Japanese heritage, executives said at the time. “This legacy inspired our vision for modern creativity that was born in Japan and raised in a connected world,” Clark said in June during a Cannes panel.

 

But now, according to people close to the situation, Dentsu Group is preparing to consolidate into a single leadership structure, essentially eliminating Clark’s position.

 

A varied resume

 

A well-known ad exec, she would seem to have myriad career opportunities, given her resume, which includes stints in executive roles at Coca-Cola Co. and AT&T. She has even dabbled in politics, taking an unpaid leave from Coke in 2015 to work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Clark is also known to advocate for progressive causes, recently tweeting support for Stacey Abrams’ campaign for Georgia governor. Clark has traveled the world in her agency roles but makes her home in Atlanta.

 

In her prior role as president and CEO for DDB North America, Clark was credited with expanding relationships with clients including Conagra, Johnson & Johnson and State Farm. Most memorably she oversaw the creation of a bespoke agency for McDonald’s, We are Unlimited. But the account later moved to Wieden+Kennedy, and the agency was later folded into DDB Chicago.

 

It appears that her exit at DDB was also sudden: In an April 2020 earnings call held amid the pandemic and some client losses, Omnicom Group Chairman-CEO John Wren referenced Clark’s leaving, saying, “We were a bit shocked and put off when Wendy Clark decided that she was going to move on in the middle of a crisis.”

 

Dentsu structure

 

Up until this point, Dentsu Group has operated two agency networks: Dentsu Japan Network, which has overseen Dentsu Group operations in Japan; and Dentsu International, which has managed Dentsu Group operations outside of Japan.

 

London-based Dentsu International, formerly Dentsu Aegis Network, has managed non-Japan operations, including former holdings of Aegis Media (the primary unit of Aegis Group, acquired in 2013). Dentsu Group in September 2020 changed the name of Dentsu Aegis Network to Dentsu International.

 

The company, long the dominant agency business in Japan, has invested heavily in the past decade to build a major international network.

 

Dentsu International (including its media agencies) last year had revenue less cost of sales of $5.1 billion, compared to $3.5 billion for Dentsu Japan Network (including media agencies), according to Ad Age Datacenter estimates.

 

Excluding media agencies, Ad Age ranked Dentsu Japan Network and Dentsu International as the world’s No. 6 and No. 7 consolidated agency networks based on 2021 figures.

 

The new move to consolidate networks comes one year after Dentsu Group in August 2021 announced a “comprehensive review and accelerated transformation program” intended to simplify its business, reduce operating expenses, improve its balance sheet and maximize shareholder value.

 

Ad Age Datacenter ranks Dentsu Group as the world’s sixth-largest agency company (behind WPP, Omnicom Group, Publicis Groupe, Accenture’s Accenture Song and Interpublic Group of Cos.).

 

The news of Clark’s departure was first reported by Campaign.

 

Contributing: Bradley Johnson and Brian Bonilla

15940: Dentsu To Take Advantage Of Developing Countries…?

Campaign reported that Dentsu envisions ‘tremendous competitive advantage’ by offshoring 10,000 jobs. Didn’t bother reading the details—but expect Wendy Clark to leverage any hiring of non-White people from developing countries as a diversity scheme. And don’t be surprised if Ted Royer quietly emerges among the 10,000…

15864: At Dentsu, New Logo And Old Lunatics.

Advertising Age and Adweek reported that Dentsu is dumping all of its global creative agencies into a single pile of shit—Dentsu Creative. The PR included a photo (depicted above) with Dentsu Global Chief Creative Officer Fred Levron and Dentsu CEO Wendy Clark proudly posing beside the White company’s new logo.

 

This feels like the same move Clark executed at DDB, rehabbing the place with a rejiggered symbol. It’s pathetic how firms stress the importance of branding to clients, yet don’t hesitate to routinely revise themselves and erase established corporate identities. Somebody should tell these hacks that the foundational pillars of trust include stability and consistency.

 

Sorry, but Clark’s self-proclaimed restless ambition is actually just reckless ambition.