On the heels of Omnicom’s announcement earlier this month that it’s acquiring fellow marketing giant Interpublic Group, the head of Omnicom’s health-focused agency is stepping down.
Omnicom Health Group CEO Matt McNally shared the news on LinkedIn on Thursday, noting that he’ll be “wrapping up in the coming weeks.”
“Word is out..I have decided to leave Omnicom Health Group and pursue my next chapter,” he wrote. “It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside some of the best and the brightest in the industry over the past two and a half years. I am beyond grateful for everyone at OHG and wish the team nothing but the best, you will all continue to crush it.”
McNally joined OHG in June 2022. Before that, he’d spent more than two decades mostly at various media agencies, including stints as president of Publicis Health and dentsu health, plus a stop as CEO of Outcome Health from 2018 to 2021 as the health tech company, which has since combined with PatientPoint, recovered from a corporate fraud scandal.
Omnicom confirmed in a statement sent to Fierce Pharma Marketing that McNally will step down Jan. 1. From there, Michael Larson, CEO of Omnicom’s Diversified Agency Services division, which encompasses OHG, will take over his role on an interim basis. Omnicom said it expects to name a permanent replacement for the position in 2025.
“We thank Matt for his contributions to OHG and wish him well in his next chapter,” the company said in the statement.
MM+M was first to report the news of McNally’s departure Thursday.
The OHG leadership shake-up comes amid a larger period of transition for Omnicom. In early December, the company laid out its plans to acquire Interpublic, a merger that would result in the creation of the world’s largest advertising agency, knocking Publicis down a peg.
The pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry is a top priority for both companies: In 2024 so far, Omnicom and IPG have each generated about $1.8 billion in revenue from the sector. Overall, their combination is expected to result in a company with annual revenues of more than $25 billion with annual cost savings of about $750 million.
In the acquisition announcement, Omnicom said it’s planning to wrap up the merger in the second half of 2025, after securing approvals from shareholders and regulators.
Regulatory investigations into the deal have already begun, with the New York Post reporting Wednesday that Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has launched an antitrust probe based on both companies’ ties to the World Federation of Advertisers industry association and its now-shuttered Global Alliance for Responsible Media initiative.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include a statement from Omnicom.