Worldwide Leadership Strength

Mainardo de Nardis is the CEO of OMD Worldwide, the world’s largest media agency according to RECMA, and a member of the worldwide board of Omnicom Media Group. Named to this position in 2009, he oversees all operations across 140 offices in 80 countries.

During Mainardo’s tenure OMD has been honored as the world’s most creative media agency for a fifth consecutive year by The Gunn Report for Media, which evaluates global media creativity and innovation. Additionally, OMD was named in 2009 as Adweek’s Global Media Agency of the Year and Advertising Age’s U.S. Media Agency of the year.

Prior to joining the Omnicom group of companies, Mainardo was the global CEO of Aegis Media, which included Carat, Vizeum, Posterscope and Isobar, and a board director of its publicly quoted holding company, Aegis Group plc. Before Aegis he ran Mediaedge:cia (MEC), a global network that he was instrumental in creating for WPP after their acquisition of CIA Worldwide of which he was the CEO and a founding partner. His involvement with CIA began when his Italian media agency merged with it in the early ‘90’s. Previously he was also the founder and Chairman of MediaNetwork International, a European Association of local media independents which attracted all key pioneers in the media business.

Before moving into media communication services Mainardo worked in client service for advertising agencies McCann Erickson, Y&R and then as a co-founder of third wave agency 'Alberto Cremona' in Milan.

He published "The European Media Map", one of the first books on the development of the European and global media scene. Mainardo is also a regular speaker at conferences around the world and is a keen jury participant in award competitions which he considers the best way to constantly be in touch with innovation on a global basis.

Born in Milan, Italy, and raised in Switzerland and the UK, Mainardo has spent the majority of the last 25 years working between London and New York.