Laura Desmond quits Publicis Groupe; Rishad Tobaccowala is Strategy & Growth Officer

Laura Desmond, Chief Revenue Officer, Publicis Groupe, who has been on a leave of absence since July 1, 2016 dealing with a significant family health matter, has put in her papers. During Desmond’s leave, her responsibilities as Chief Revenue Officer have been coordinated by Rishad Tobaccowala, who will continue in this role as Strategy and Growth Officer, Publicis Groupe.

 “I am very grateful to Maurice Levy and everyone at Publicis Groupe for their support during my leave. The family health issue is significantly better,” said Desmond. “This sabbatical allowed me to consider where my greatest entrepreneurial and leadership opportunity existed. After thoughtful reflection and discussions with Maurice, I have concluded this is the right step for me. I leave the Groupe with nothing but thanks and appreciation for the opportunities and support I’ve received throughout my career and during my leave.”

 Commenting on the development, Maurice Levy, Chairman & CEO, Publicis Groupe, said, “We are all very grateful to Laura for her many important contributions to Publicis Groupe and are sorry to see her go. I know that Laura will continue to be as incredibly successful in the future as she has been with us. With my colleagues of the Management Board we wish her only the very best.”

 Appointed Chief Revenue Officer in December 2015, Desmond was responsible for developing strategies that catalyse Groupe transformation and business transformation through the alchemy of creativity and technology. In addition, she led the Groupe’s Global Client Leaders, simplifying and accelerating the way clients access communications and marketing technology solutions across Publicis Groupe. Prior to her current role, Desmond served as Global CEO of Starcom Mediavest Group, more than doubling its size and nurturing relationships with the world’s biggest marketers, including Samsung, Bank of America, Visa, Coca-Cola, as well as new establishment brands such as Airbnb and Twitter.

 Prior to taking on the role of Strategy & Growth Officer, Rishad Tobaccowala was the Chieft Strategist of Publicis Groupe, and before that the Chairman of

DigitasLBi and of Razorfish, two global firms owned by the Publicis Groupe focused on marketing and business transformation. Tobaccowala was also the Chief Strategy and Innovation officer of VivaKi, a global leader in digital advertising solutions.

 He has 33 years of experience in marketing and has worked, helped grow, founded/ co-founded or incubated for a variety of companies, including Leo Burnett, Starcom, SMG Next, Starcom IP, Giant Step, Play, and Denuo.

 He is also Chairman of The Tobaccowala Foundation, which helps 10,000 people in India access better education and healthcare. Tobaccowala has earned a BS in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Bombay and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago.