New DDB Global CEO in Q&A session with Philippines group

MANILA, Philippines — DDB Group Philippines recently held an informal Q&A session with new DDB Worldwide chief executive officer Martin O’Halloran, who was appointed as DDB Global CEO two months ago.

Moderated by DDB Group Philippines chief development officer Craig Lonnee, the fireside chat covered a range of topics from O’Halloran’s leadership style to how agencies should navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

DDB Group Philippines chairman and CEO Gil Chua said he is glad that O’Halloran, whom he considers an old friend, was the one chosen to head DDB Worldwide.

“DDB is in good hands. Marty is such a great leader – a believer of people and creativity. Like he said, he will definitely lead the global agency network from ‘strength to strength despite headwinds from the global pandemic’,” Chua said.

Extremely charismatic and beaming with positivity, O’Halloran rallied his audience in the virtual townhall to get excited about facing the challenges of these times.

“Great agencies have flexibility. Embrace the things you are afraid of, try new things, and keep ahead of the curve,” he advised.

O’Halloran emphasized that the growth that he considers most important now is not revenues, but the growth of people’s skills set.

“Keep looking at the future, and make sure you are able to invest within the agency and partner with other Omnicom agencies,” he said.

He stressed that the much talked about demise of the brick-and-mortar creative agency is not happening anytime soon as the latter will still be that place where creative people will really want to be.

O’Halloran also underscored the importance of pivoting into the new normal with data and technology, as well as new platforms.

O’Halloran assumed his current role as CEO of DDB Worldwide in July, where he is tasked to support DDB’s offices across the world. With over 30 years of experience at DDB, he brings to his worldwide CEO role a deep understanding of the network’s rich history, culture, and people.

Before his appointment as Global CEO, O’Halloran was chairman and CEO of DDB Group Australia and New Zealand for 15 years. Under his leadership, DDB in Australia and New Zealand had been recognized as the fastest growing international network in the region.