Publicis Groupe digital consultancies SapientNitro and Razorfish have been merged to form SapientRazorfish in the aim of scaling digital experience.
Alan Herrick, newly-appointed chairman of the group’s Publicis.Sapient division, explained that the merger aims to address trends of clients pursuing customer intimacy from data, whilst focusing on improving operating efficiency through technology and enterprise.
“We have had great success in helping our clients with their transformation programs since the formation of Publicis.Sapient in early 2015,” continued Herrick. “By creating SapientRazorfish, and by implementing a more integrated management structure, we are combining the very best digital and technology assets in one combined unit.
“SapientNitro and Razorfish have been clear market leaders since the invention of digital. To now bring them together builds on the great success we have seen in many recent collaborations with clients.”
In addition to chairing Publicis.Sapient, Herrick will continue to advise client chief executives and boards on digital transformation efforts.
Alan Wexler and Chip Register will become co-CEOs of Publicis.Sapient, assuming responsibility for day-to-day business operations, while Alan Wexler will take on the role at SapientRazorfish. As well as continuing his role as chief executive of Sapient Consulting, Register will also lead a combined global practice and delivery structure and co-lead Publicis.Sapient in North America with Wexler.
“We are excited to assume responsibility for leading Publicis.Sapient,” said Wexler and Register. “Since its inception in 2015, Publicis.Sapient has uniquely integrated Publicis Groupe’s formidable digital, technology and consulting assets to solve the most highly strategic problem for clients.
“Now we start this new chapter to further integrate in response to the increasing digital demands of our clients. We are proud to lead an incredibly talented and powerful leadership team that together will reshape the future for our clients and, we believe, the competitive landscape overall as markets reconfigure in new and interesting ways.”
Current Razorfish chief executive Shannon Denton will assume the role of chief strategy officer for SapientRazorfish and head global practices for Publicis.Sapient, while Nigel Vaz will assume responsibility for an integrated management team in Europe and Asia.
“For the past 10 years, Publicis Groupe has been leading the way in reshaping our company to be more digital,” said Publicis Groupe chairman and chief executive Maurice Lévy. “From the acquisitions of Digitas, Razorfish, Rosetta and most recently Sapient, there is no question that we have set the pace and when we formed Publicis.Sapient we integrated the strongest set of capabilities in digital, consulting and technology amongst any of our peer group.
“We are now taking this next, important step, to further integrate these formidable assets. SapientRazorfish is a powerful new entity in the marketplace uniquely combining customer experience strategy, omni channel commerce, and technology deployment to create a new breed of digital transformation partner pointed at today’s most critical client need – reshaping their businesses for the future. I am confident that Alan and Chip, together with the new Publicis.Sapient structure and management in place, will continue to drive digital revenue to our goal of 60% by 2018.
“Further, I am thrilled to have Alan Herrick working with me on the continued progress we are making at Publicis Groupe as I consider how best to position the Groupe and configure leadership across the many dimensions inherent in steering both our clients, and the Groupe itself, to a prosperous future.”
