DDB Worldwide global chief executive Alex Lubar has left the network, following reports that the agency’s brand may be retired following Omnicom’s $13.5 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group.
Lubar has joined Fundamentalco, a brand strategy consultancy spun out of Blackstone, as CEO. Fundamentalco’s clients include Bain Capital, Visa, Hilton, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
DDB declined to comment on whether it plans to backfill Lubar’s role.
“We can confirm Alex is leaving DDB and embarking on his next chapter,” a DDB spokesperson told ADWEEK. “We have an exceptionally strong leadership team in place who will remain focused on delivering outstanding work for our clients and supporting our people.”
Lubar joined DDB in late 2022 as president and COO after nearly a decade at McCann Worldgroup, where he was CEO of McCann London and president of McCann North America. He was elevated to DDB’s global CEO in October 2023.
His departure comes amid intensifying questions about DDB’s future, following reports late last month that Omnicom plans to eliminate the brand once its acquisition of IPG closes.
At the time, Omnicom told ADWEEK it is “undertaking a rigorous and considered process to ensure we have the very best solutions for the future for us and for our clients,” adding that Omnicom and IPG remain independent until the deal closes.
During his tenure at DDB, Lubar led the agency to reclaim the Network of the Year title at Cannes Lions in 2025—its second win in three years. He also dealt with the fallout of this year’s festival, when Cannes Lions withdrew a Grand Prix awarded to DDB’s São Paulo agency DM9 after determining a case film contained AI-manipulated footage. Despite the ruling, DDB kept its Network of the Year title.
DDB had already been consolidating ahead of the merger, bringing together DDB Chicago, adam&eveDDB, and multicultural agency Alma under a new North America leadership team earlier this year. DDB New York also merged with adam&eveNYC in 2023, and Omnicom subsequently rolled DDB, BBDO, and TBWA under Omnicom Advertising Group.