Worldwide Leadership Strength

Mainardo de Nardis has over 25 years' experience of marketing services. He started his career in 1980 in client services in Italy, first at McCann Erickson, and then at Young & Rubicam. In 1985, he co-founded third wave advertising agency 'Alberto Cremona' in Milan, becoming its first Managing Director. In 1987, he moved from advertising to media communications, becoming Vice-Chairman and partner of independent media agency Medianetwork in Milan.

In 1993, Medianetwork Italy merged with London-based CIA and Mainardo moved to the UK as CEO of the merged business for Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 1997, he joined the board of CIA's quoted parent company, Tempus Group plc, and the following year succeeded the founder Chris Ingram as CEO of CIA Worldwide. In late 2001, following the acquisition of Tempus by WPP Group plc, Mainardo became CEO of the newly formed Mediaedge:cia (MEC).

In late 2005, Mainardo left MEC, a company at which he spent some 18 years under three different ownerships, to become CEO of Aegis Media worldwide and a board director of publicly quoted Aegis Group plc.

In March 2009, Mainardo moved from London to New York to become CEO of OMD Worldwide, the world’s largest media agency according to RECMA with more than 140 offices in 80 countries. OMD is recognized as the most creative media agency in the world by The Gunn Report for Media and as Adweek’s current Global Media Agency of the Year.