2017-01-27

As expected, the Publicis Groupe Supervisory Board has chosen Arthur Sadoun, currently CEO of Publicis Communications, to succeed Maurice Lévy as Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe.

Beginning June 1, 2017, Arthur Sadoun will become Chairman & CEO, presiding over the Management Board (Directoire), which will also be strengthened with the arrival of Steve King, currently CEO of Publicis Media. Steve King will join current Management Board members Jean-Michel Etienne, Executive Vice President-CFO, and Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, Secretary General.

This management team will be able to count on the world-class leaders
and the full range of the Groupe's expertise in transformation
including, Alan Wexler and Chip Register of Publicis.Sapient, Nick
Colucci of Publicis Health, Jarek Ziebinski of Publicis One, and Rishad
Tobaccowala for strategy and our client-centric approach.

Says Elisabeth
Badinter, the Chair of the Supervisory Board and President of the Nominating Committee: "The highly respected professional qualities of Arthur
Sadoun, his unique understanding of clients and their needs, his
accomplishments both during his time at Publicis Groupe and before, and
his human qualities, all make him the prime candidate. He will be able
to count on Steve King, who is joining the Management Board, as well as
Jean-Michel Etienne and Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, members of the
Management Board. On behalf of the Supervisory Board, we have every
confidence in this team to meet the challenges ahead.

"The
Supervisory Board and myself would like to particularly note the
exceptional work accomplished under the stewardship and thanks to the
personal commitment of Maurice Lévy over the last 30 years; our Groupe
has profoundly transformed itself, ranked today not only as the 3rd
group globally but above all as the 1st when it comes to the engine of
the future: digital. It would be too long to list all of the
accomplishments achieved under his direction. It suffices to say that,
over this period, our headcount went from around 3,000 people to nearly
80,000; our revenue has multiplied by nearly 50 and our market
capitalization by close to 100. I would like to warmly thank him and
tell him how much the Supervisory Board and myself are grateful to him.

"Succession
is never an easy task and this is the reason why I very much insisted
that Maurice Lévy remain at our side to provide Arthur Sadoun with
guidance in and recommendations for his difficult task. Therefore, I
have proposed that Maurice Lévy join the Supervisory Board as Chairman,
if the shareholders agree with my recommendation and that of the
Supervisory Board at the next Annual General Meeting."

Effectively,
the Supervisory Board has proposed that Maurice Lévy, upon completion
of his mandate, join as Chairman. This proposition will be submitted to a
vote by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on May 31, 2017.

Says Maurice
Lévy: "First of all, I'd like to warmly congratulate Arthur. I
am extremely happy with this choice, which is the most appropriate and
judicious for the future of our Groupe, and congratulate Arthur warmly.
It's not just any choice, it's a measured and well thought out choice
that opens new doors for the future of our amazing Groupe. I have known
Arthur for many years. We have worked very closely together. He is a
seasoned professional with an inspiring vision of our industry and of
our clients' needs. He knows them well, he understands them well and he
knows how to deliver the solutions and services they need to grow,
develop and transform by selecting the best talent. He has the
intelligence, the energy and the passion necessary to master our trade
in a connected world that is changing and evolving constantly. He's also
a man with admirable human qualities. It is all this together that will
drive him, with the help of his team, to lead the Groupe on the path to
success and to rise above any obstacle. In handing him the "keys to the
future", (as Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, the founder of Publicis said to
me) the Supervisory Board has made an excellent choice. I have every
confidence.

"Particularly since Arthur will be able to count on a
first-rate team. The Supervisory Board has made a point to highlight
Steve's path, talent and unquestionable accomplishments in various
fields. I have always greatly admired Steve and thought of him as a
friend, as he has been able to meet every challenge and make necessary
change with talent and impact. His promotion to the Management Board,
alongside Jean-Michel Etienne and Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, who both
know the Groupe inside-out, is well deserved and will allow him to
provide his support and professionalism to the Groupe's development. The
Management Board, in its new form, is balanced and based upon high
standards of rigor and expertise. I feel most confident this team is fit
for the Groupe's lofty ambitions. In direct support of the Management
Board, talented leaders head our Solutions to best serve our clients and
help them grow. It's another reason to feel confident.

"We owe
where we are today to our clients, and we thank them for their trust. In
order for us to continue to be worthy of this trust, we need to put in
place the strongest team possible to drive the future. This has now been
done. They can count on these world-class talents.

"Finally, I am
extremely thankful to Elisabeth Badinter, who has placed her trust in
me over the last 20 years. The harmony that has always existed between
the Supervisory and Management Boards, the friendly, transparent and
trustful collaboration between Elisabeth Badinter and myself, have,
without a doubt, been the secret to the success of Publicis. Elisabeth
Badinter has placed an enormous amount of trust in me by proposing I
take over as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, for which I thank her
deeply. In this position, if the shareholders so vote it, alongside the
members of the Supervisory Board, I will do my very best to accompany
the new team who, under Arthur's leadership, I am sure, will go above
and beyond to take Publicis Groupe even higher."

Says Arthur Sadoun: "First, I'd like to deeply thank Elisabeth Badinter, Maurice Lévy and the Supervisory Board for their trust. I'm
also extremely grateful to Publicis Groupe's clients and teams around
the world, with whom I've had the pleasure of working for the past 10
years.

"Leading the company founded by visionary Marcel
Bleustein-Blanchet and made into a global communications leader by
Maurice Lévy is an immense honor and an incredible challenge. A
challenge that I'll meet with open arms, thanks to the continued
contribution of Maurice's wisdom and experience, and the support of
Steve King, the Management Board and the talented individuals who make
up Publicis Groupe.

"Thanks to each of them, I'm taking on this
new role with confidence, determination and one objective in mind:
accelerating our transformation and development through The Power of One
to continue to make Publicis shine like Marcel and Maurice have done
for the past 90 years."

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