Omnicom, WPP and Dentsu shrink staff as big agencies restructure

Omnicom, WPP and Dentsu are cutting staff and folding agency brands as they restructure. Omnicom expects about 15,000 fewer employees by the end of 2026, and WPP had about 6,700 fewer people in June than a year earlier. Dentsu plans 1,300 more job cuts this year after a large 2025 loss.

Omnicom after the Interpublic deal

Omnicom closed its purchase of Interpublic Group on November 26, 2025 Omnicom (SEC filing) . In the second quarter of 2026 it reported revenue of $6.6 billion. Its core operations, a measure that leaves out businesses sold or held for sale, grew 6.1% organically. It booked $47.0 million in repositioning costs, which it said were “primarily related to severance actions in connection with the Merger.” It booked $40.1 million more in integration and transaction costs for the deal. Chief executive John Wren said clients “are consolidating more work with us.”

Mediaweek reported on September 13, 2026, that CFO Philip Angelastro gave a headcount target at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference Mediaweek . Omnicom expects to finish 2026 with about 105,000 employees, down from roughly 120,000 at the end of 2025. That drop is not a layoff count. It includes outsourcing, offshoring and staff who leave when Omnicom sells a business. Mediaweek said the cuts aim at duplicated corporate costs and regional management.

“Those headcount changes really have not impacted client-facing people very much at all,” Angelastro said.

The cuts started early. In December 2025, more than 4,000 global roles were expected to go, and Omnicom retired agency brands including DDB, FCB and MullenLowe, Mediaweek reported. It said the company is pursuing $1.5 billion in gross cost synergies, and it noted that Omnicom lost PepsiCo’s global media business to Publicis Groupe.

WPP has about 6,700 fewer people

WPP’s revenue less pass-through costs fell 5.6% to £4,745 million in the first half of 2026, or 4.7% on a like-for-like basis WPP . The second quarter was down 2.8% like for like. The company is targeting £500 million in gross annualized cost savings by 2028, with £100 million expected this year. Chief executive Cindy Rose said WPP is “transitioning from a complex holding company to a single, integrated company.” It won consolidated mandates from The Estée Lauder Companies, Henkel and Wendy’s in the half.

The financial statements show the staff change WPP . WPP had 97,388 people on June 30, 2026, against 104,083 a year earlier, a drop of 6,695. Headcount fell 1.3% in the first half alone, from 98,655 at the end of 2025. Staff costs fell 5.9% to £3,469 million. WPP tied that drop to lower headcount from earlier cost actions and from its current restructuring. Headline severance costs were £44 million, down from £86 million a year earlier.

Dentsu posts a loss and changes leaders

Dentsu reported a substantial statutory operating loss for 2025, driven mainly by goodwill impairment losses Dentsu Group . It paid no year-end or annual dividend for 2025 and forecast none for 2026. Its Japan business grew 6.2% organically, and Japan makes up about 40% of group net revenue. Dentsu named Takeshi Sano, chief executive of Dentsu Japan, to become president and global CEO on March 27, 2026.

Australian trade outlet B&T called the loss a record A$2.9 billion B&T . It reported that Dentsu stopped trying to sell its international business, cut 2,100 jobs in 2025 and plans to cut 1,300 more in 2026. Sano was named to succeed Hiroshi Igarashi. The Dentsu figures date from February 2026.

The three groups at a glance

Group	Staff change	Other changes	Reported
Omnicom	About 15,000 fewer by the end of 2026, a target that includes outsourcing and business sales	Retired the DDB, FCB and MullenLowe brands	September 2026
WPP	6,695 fewer people, June 2025 to June 2026	£500 million savings target by 2028	August 2026
Dentsu	1,300 cuts planned for 2026, after 2,100 in 2025	New global CEO, no 2025 dividend	February 2026

What it means for a business that pays an agency

Holding companies own many agency brands, and the brand on your contract can change. Omnicom retired DDB, FCB and MullenLowe within weeks of closing its deal. Fewer staff and merged teams can bring new people onto your account. Omnicom’s CFO says client-facing staff were not hit much. Its target still counts outsourcing and offshoring, so ask where your work gets done.

Group cost savings do not lower your fees on their own. Any change to your price is something you negotiate. Our report on how big brands are moving away from hourly agency fees covers the pricing side. Ownership changes reach small agencies too, as our report on small agency acquisitions in 2026 shows.

Three contract terms matter most in a restructuring:

• Named key people. List the people who run your account and require written notice before any change.
• A change-of-control exit. Give yourself the right to leave without penalty if the agency is sold or merged.
• Asset ownership. Keep admin access to your ad accounts, analytics, website and creative files.

Read our guide to marketing agency contracts before you renew. If you want an agency where senior people do the work, our small business shortlist ranks the agencies in our index that serve small and local businesses.

Questions to ask your agency

1. Who owns your agency, and has that changed in the past year? A holding company parent can reshape teams and brands.
2. Who are the named people on our account, and will they stay on it? Ask for names and roles in writing.
3. Has any of our work moved to outsourced or offshore teams? Omnicom’s headcount target counts both.
4. Will our fees or terms change after the restructuring? Get any change in writing before it takes effect.
5. Can we leave without penalty if the agency is sold or merged? A change-of-control clause gives you that exit.
6. Do we hold admin access to our ad accounts, analytics and creative files? Your access should not depend on the agency’s staff list.