Matt McNally returns to Publicis as global CEO of Publicis Health

Days after departing from Omnicom Health Group (OHG), Matt McNally has returned to Publicis Groupe to serve as global CEO of Publicis Health.

The Paris-based advertising giant announced the move Thursday morning, welcoming McNally back into the fold. 

McNally spent more than 14 years of his career at Publicis, serving as president and chief media officer at Publicis Health and group president of Publicis Health Media, which he launched in 2013. 

In a statement, the company called him “one of the most innovative healthcare leaders” with a proven track record of supporting the agency’s largest pharma clients.

McNally will be based in New York and report to Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun.

“I couldn’t be happier to welcome Matt back home. At a time when the health and pharmaceutical sectors are undergoing profound change, driven by technological revolutions, new patient needs, and regulations, we’ve been busy building the industry’s most innovative health vertical, helping them transform through solutions with COREAI at heart, fuelled by intelligent creativity and brought to life through the most relevant new media channels,” Sadoun stated. 

Now, McNally will work alongside Stephen Farquhar, CEO of Publicis Health US, to lead Publicis’ global health vertical. In this capacity, he will design and implement a shared vision and strategy for the company’s health agencies and pharma clients.  

A Publicis homecoming marks the end of what has been quite an eventful month for McNally.

In early December, Omnicom announced a takeover of Interpublic Group (IPG). If approved by shareholders and regulators, it would be one of the largest mergers in the advertising industry's history, generating annual revenues north of $25 billion and cost savings of $750 million.

After the megamerger was unveiled, attention quickly turned to who would be tapped to lead the health vertical of the combined organisation.

Industry watchers speculated as to whether McNally or IPG Health CEO Dana Maiman would take the reins.

On December 19, McNally removed his name from the equation and announced that he would depart from OHG after nearly three years. 

The organisation confirmed that his last day would be January 1, and DAS Group CEO Michael Larson would succeed him on an interim basis until a permanent replacement was appointed.

McNally is eager to return to the holding company, where he made a name for himself in the industry. He says he’s ready to lead Publicis Health’s efforts to deliver transformative health marketing solutions for its clients. 

“By leveraging our unique data, connected media ecosystem, and advanced technology, and infusing them with deep health and pharma expertise, we’re not just keeping pace with the industry—we’re setting a new standard,” McNally stated. “It’s how we will accelerate our clients’ transformation journeys, helping them achieve meaningful results faster and more effectively than ever.”

Having spent his entire career in medical marketing, McNally has held leadership posts at a number of agencies.

Prior to his time at OHG, he served as global president of Dentsu Health, which he launched in 2021. He also served as CEO of point-of-care company Outcome Health for nearly three years.