Olivier Altmann Launches Agency, Altmann+Pacreau

After 10 years in the Group, Publicis CCO Olivier Altmann will leave his current position in June to launch a new agency venture with Edouard Pacreau named Altmann+Pacreau.

The new company will operate as an independent agency with Publicis holding a minority interest.

Altmann, co-chairman of Publicis Conseil and chief creative officer, and Pacreau, ex-CEO of McCann, met at the Publicis, where Pacreau was worldwide account director for Renault. They have both acquired considerable experience and developed expertise in management and integration of international brands during their careers.

With over 50 years of experience between them and at a time when the digital revolution is blurring the boundaries between disciplines, they wanted to offer advertisers a new "media-neutral" agency model.

"I've always dreamed of starting my own agency and I feel that after all these years spent with Publicis, in an advertising landscape in the process of reinventing itself, the time has finally come. I am delighted and flattered that Publicis and Maurice Lévy [CEO] have so much faith in me," says Altmann on the announcement.

An agency of ideas first and foremost, Altmann+Pacreau combines the agility and commitment of proven management skills supported by the force of the third largest communications group in the world.

"Publicis has always encouraged entrepreneurship. It is therefore with great enthusiasm that Maurice Lévy and I welcomed Olivier's project. He knows he can count on our support in this new adventure," adds Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Worldwide.