Dublin, 11 March 2026
Subhead: Omnicom Media Ireland promotes from within, creating a new chief client officer role as it seeks tighter client alignment and growth
Omnicom Media Ireland has moved to consolidate client leadership across its agencies with a package of senior promotions announced on 11 March 2026. The changes, first reported by AdWorld, see long-serving PHD Ireland managing director Gemma Teeling elevated to the newly created group-level role of chief client officer, while Sinéad Manly takes the reins at PHD Ireland and Susan Daly is named managing director at the agency group. More on the original report is available at AdWorld.
Appointments and immediate impact
Gemma Teeling, who has led PHD Ireland since 2014, will assume responsibility for strengthening client partnerships across Omnicom Media Ireland’s stable of agencies. In the new role Teeling is charged with ensuring that capabilities, technology and talent are more closely aligned to deliver outcomes for both local and global brands. The move signals a deliberate shift toward a more centralised client-facing structure intended to offer advertisers a single, joined-up experience across agency disciplines. See Omnicom Media Group for context.
Sinéad Manly, promoted from her role as head of client and growth at Omnicom Media Ireland, becomes managing director of PHD Ireland. Manly, who began her career on the client side with Mondelez and has spent eight years at PHD, will be expected to maintain momentum on existing accounts while overseeing new business development and talent cultivation within the agency.
The reshuffle also brings Susan Daly into a managing director role at the agency group following Fiona Field’s decision to step down. Daly is a 15-year Omnicom veteran whose past roles include strategy director at OMD and most recently group head of marketing intelligence, where she led efforts to embed data, analytics and marketing science into client work. For background on OMD and the wider network see OMD.
What the changes mean for clients and the market
At face value, the appointments are a smart, low-friction way to protect client continuity. Promoting proven internal leaders reduces disruption and signals to advertisers that Omnicom Media Ireland values institutional knowledge and client relationships. Jason Nebenzahl, CEO of Omnicom Media Ireland, framed the moves as evidence of depth of talent and a commitment to internal progression.
From a commercial perspective, creating a chief client officer role addresses a recurring friction point in holding-group structures: how to present coherent strategy and technology to clients whose needs increasingly straddle media planning, data science and measurement. If executed well, a dedicated client champion at group level can shorten decision-making chains and improve return on investment for brands.
That said, the model is not without risk. Centralising client oversight can create tensions with agency autonomy, and success will depend on clear boundaries and incentives. Agencies that lose some direct client control may push back if the group role is perceived as prescriptive rather than facilitative. The proof will be in whether cross-agency briefs are executed faster and with measurably better outcomes.
Analysis: talent development versus centralisation
These appointments should be read through two lenses. First, they are a vote for organic leadership development. For shareholders and corporate planners who prefer lower-cost succession and continuity, promoting from within is sensible and politically uncontroversial.
Second, they reflect a broader industry trend toward tighter integration of data, technology and client services. Daly’s move from marketing intelligence to a managing director position underscores that media groups increasingly prize analytics expertise at senior levels. Advertisers are demanding clearer measurement and attribution, and agencies that do not adapt risk losing spend to consultancies or in-house teams.
However, the group must manage cultural risk. Agencies are often prized for their individual identities and creative approaches. Too much centralisation could blunt agility and make propositions feel homogenised. The balanced path is a federated model where the chief client officer aligns incentives and removes roadblocks, while agency MDs retain freedom to craft market-facing strategy.
What to watch next
– How the new structure affects client retention and new business wins over the next 12 months. Concrete gains or losses will be the clearest test of the restructuring.
– Whether Omnicom Media Ireland publishes clearer operating guidelines that define the chief client officer’s remit versus agency managing directors. Transparency will calm internal uncertainty.
– How rival groups respond. A successful outcome may prompt competitors to accelerate similar appointments.
Reporting for The Business Brief is based on the AdWorld account of the changes. For the original announcement see AdWorld’s coverage. For corporate context visit Omnicom Media Group and OMD.
