The rumours persist that DDB will end when Omnicom’s US$13.5 billion acquisition of IPG is finalised. Alex Lubar’s departure will, no doubt, add fuel to the fire.

The DDB Worldwide global chief executive has left the network, becoming CEO of New York brand consultancy, Fundamentalco. Lubar announced his new role on LinkedIn with the note, “Very excited to join Jonny Bauer and the immensely talented team at FUNDAMENTALco; a truly unique operation that understands the power of brand-led value creation.

“Thank you to the unbelievable DDB community across the globe that I had the privilege of leading these last two years. Your creative genius is only outmatched by your collective grace.”

Fundamentalco is a brand strategy consultancy extension of investment management company. Blackstone, with clients that include Bain Capital, Visa, Hilton, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Lubar joined DDB in New York in October 2022 as global president and CCO. He became global CEO one year later. During his tenure at DDB, Lubar led the agency to reclaim the Network of the Year title at Cannes Lions in 2025 and 2023.

Before DDB, Lubar spent three-and-a-half years at McCann New York, two as global chief marketing officer, and another three-and-a-half years as CEO of McCann London.  

DDB has already been consolidating ahead of the merger. Earlier this year, it brought together DDB Chicago, adam&eveDDB and Alma under a new North America leadership team after DDB New York merged with adam&eveNYC in 2023.

Meanwhile, in August 2024, Omnicom had begun the process of bringing its advertising agencies under one umbrella, Omnicom Advertising Group (OAG), a new global organisation aligning creative networks, BBDO, DDB, and TBWA, as well as agencies, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, GSD&M, Merkley & Partners and Zimmerman.