Alex Lubar, global chief executive at DDB Worldwide, has stepped down from the Omnicom agency network to take on the top job at Fundamentalco, a brand consulting firm that advises private-equity firms and their portfolio companies.
Lubar becomes CEO effective immediately and will report to Fundamentalco founder and executive chair Jonny Bauer. His exit comes at a sensitive moment for DDB, with industry speculation intensifying that Omnicom will retire the 75-year-old creative network as part of its US$13.5 billion merger with Interpublic Group.
“Very excited to join Jonny Bauer and the immensely talented team at Fundamentalco,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “A truly unique operation that understands the power of brand-led value creation.
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“Thank you to the unbelievable DDB community across the globe that I had the privilege of leading these last two years. Your creative genius is only outmatched by your collective grace.”
The merger between Omnicom and IPG – approved by the US Federal Trade Commission in late September – is expected to consolidate the combined group’s creative operations around three global networks: BBDO Worldwide, McCann and TBWAWorldwide.
Market chatter suggests DDB may be retired as part of this integration, a move that would dissolve one of the most influential agency brands in modern advertising.
Lubar joins Fundamentalco at a time of rapid growth for the consultancy, which Bauer launched in 2024 after nearly three years at Blackstone. The firm spun out of the investment giant that same year and continues to work closely with Blackstone portfolio companies, advising businesses such as Sabre Industries and HR software provider UKG.
The consultancy employs around 35 people including executive creative director Jenna Lyons, the former J.Crew executive, and strategy leaders from Droga5, Accenture Song and other global shops.
