Just a few weeks after Omnicom announced in early December its plans to acquire fellow marketing giant Interpublic Group, the CEO of Omnicom Health Group left his post. Now, as the merger plans plod on, another executive is stepping down.
Craig Romanok, chief marketing officer of Omnicom’s health-focused arm, shared his departure plans in a LinkedIn post Wednesday afternoon.
“After 25 years, I’m closing an unforgettable chapter—and opening a new one,” Romanok wrote, though he didn’t specify what those next steps will entail, only teasing that he’ll be “sharing more about [his] next exciting chapter soon.”
In the post, Romanok looked back not only on his stint as CMO of Omnicom Health—which began in January 2024—but also on the 24 years he spent at CDMP, culminating in a five-year term as president of the healthcare advertising agency.
“I’ve worked with some of the most brilliant, passionate, and brave people in the business. Together, we pushed boundaries, built something meaningful, and earned the distinction of 2025 Network of the Year,” he wrote, referring to Omnicom Health’s recent honor at the annual Med Ad News Manny Awards.
“But beyond the awards, it’s the people I’ll carry with me—the friendships, the mentorships, the shared belief that we can make a real difference,” he continued. “To everyone who’s been part of this journey: thank you. You’ve helped shape not just my career, but who I am. And for that, I’m endlessly grateful.”
Omnicom did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Romanok’s departure.
The CMO’s stepping down comes in the wake of another high-profile departure from the marketing behemoth. In late December, Omnicom Health Group CEO Matt McNally shared a LinkedIn post of his own to announce his impending exit. A few weeks later, McNally was announced as the new global CEO of Publicis Health.
Omnicom told Fierce Pharma Marketing at the time that it plans to name a permanent successor to McNally in 2025; in the meantime, the CEO spot has been filled on an interim basis by Michael Larson, CEO of Omnicom’s Diversified Agency Services division, which encompasses the health segment.
The C-suite moves come as Omnicom continues on in its plans to acquire Interpublic. The merger would make the resulting conglomerate the largest advertising agency in the world. Both companies have a sizable presence in the healthcare and life sciences sector: In 2024, Omnicom tallied $1.35 billion in revenues from the segment, and, while Interpublic doesn’t separate its full-year results by business area, it did name healthcare as one of its three largest client sectors for the year.
Omnicom has said it plans to complete the buyout in the second half of this year. Though shareholders signed off on the plan in March, regulators in the both the U.S. and the U.K. are still taking a close look at the deal.
Shortly before securing shareholder approval, Omnicom said it had received a second request for information from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which it called “a standard part of the regulatory process.” And, earlier this month, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority issued a notice kicking off the information-gathering process before it launches a formal investigation into the merger.