Why Agencies Are Pivoting to Operating Model Design—Not Just Execution

Omnicom Oceania has appointed David Gatt as Managing Director, Marketing Operations & Ecosystem Design, a newly created role focused on helping brands rebuild their marketing systems for an AI-driven environment. Gatt joins from Deloitte, where he led marketing transformation projects across telecommunications, retail, and financial services.

A New Kind of Role for a New Kind of Client Demand

The position did not exist before this appointment. Omnicom created it in direct response to a shift in what clients are asking for.

"The vast majority of conversations we're having with clients is about operating models and a broader need for marketing transformation capability, not just marketing execution," said Nick Garrett, CEO of Omnicom Oceania. "It's no longer just about how we evolve our business around a client, but how we help redesign theirs."

Gatt brings more than 15 years of experience in marketing automation and operating model design. Garrett noted that few professionals in the Australian market carry his depth of expertise in this area.

Based in Melbourne, Gatt will connect Omnicom's full range of capabilities, including its data and intelligence platform OMNI, management consulting arm Credera, and marketing operations unit The Loom, into unified solutions for clients.

Industry Pressure Driving the Strategic Shift

The appointment arrives at a moment of significant pressure on traditional agency business models. 73% of marketing teams have cut agency budgets due to the rise of agentic AI tools that automate work previously outsourced to agencies.

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At the same time, Gartner predicts that 50% of agency AI platforms will become obsolete by 2029. That forecast creates a direct risk for brands that have built their marketing operations around agency-specific tools that may not connect with broader company technology systems.

Gatt addressed this tension directly. "Most are using AI to go faster down the same road," he said. "The work I'm most excited about is helping brands ask whether they should be on that road at all and designing something better."

Omnicom's Wider Restructuring Across Asia Pacific

The Oceania appointment fits within a broader restructuring of Omnicom following its merger with IPG. Globally, Omnicom has consolidated its creative agencies into three primary networks: BBDO, TBWA, and McCann. The company cut approximately 4,000 roles post-merger, on top of 8,200 reductions made before the deal closed. Analyst projections place Omnicom's total staff at approximately 105,000 by 2026.

In Asia Pacific, Omnicom restructured its Hong Kong operations by appointing Andreas Krasser as CEO of Omnicom Advertising Hong Kong, with DDB absorbed into TBWA and FCB absorbed into BBDO. The Oceania market is following a parallel logic, adding a dedicated transformation layer rather than consolidating agency brands.

What This Signals for CMOs in the Region

The creation of this role reflects a wider shift in how enterprise brands are buying marketing services. Rather than hiring agencies to run campaigns, leading companies are now asking agencies to help redesign the underlying systems through which all marketing activity flows.

AI tools that aggregate data from eight to 12 marketing channels simultaneously can surface attribution insights in seconds, handling work that currently consumes roughly 40% of marketing leaders' time. That capability shift is pushing CMOs toward a more architectural role, designing data systems and operating models rather than managing execution.

Gatt's appointment signals that Omnicom Oceania is positioning itself to serve that evolved client need directly.