Digitas LBi has promoted Michael Islip to UK CEO, replacing Anil Pillai who becomes the Publicis Groupe-owned agency’s first UK, Middle East & Africa CEO.
Islip says: “I’m really excited to be taking on the role of chief executive as 2015 is going to be a big year for us. We’re going to continue developing our capabilities as an agency and we’re going to be doing bigger and better things for our clients. Thanks to the way we blend data, creativity and technology means we’re better placed than anyone to help businesses transform.”
One of the items on Islip’s agenda will surely be to explain to a befuddled client world what all these Publicis digital agencies (if such they be) actually do and how they differ from each other. At the end of last year Publicis bought Sapient for $3.7bn to form Publicis Sapient as its overarching digital company. LBi, also acquired at a substantial price, was merged with Digitas prior to this. Publicis also owns Razorfish and Rosetta.