Publicis CEO Maurice Levy Clarifies Comments on Diversity in the Ad Industry
30 Marzo 2016 - 12:06AM
Dow Jones News
By Nathalie Tadena
Publicis Chief Executive Maurice Levy sent a memo to employees
Tuesday seeking to clarify remarks he made last week that seemed to
dismiss the idea that sexism and racism are issues in the
advertising industry, instead relegated to a recent isolated
event.
Diversity in the ad industry has been in the limelight in recent
weeks after the chief communications officer of WPP agency J.
Walter Thompson filed a lawsuit alleging the company's then-CEO
Gustavo Martinez of racist and sexist behavior . Mr. Martinez, who
has denied the allegations, resigned as CEO and was replaced by WPP
executive Tamara Ingram.
At the American Association of Advertising Agencies' annual
Transformation conference in Miami last week, Mr. Levy was asked by
a reporter on stage why gender issues remain a challenge in the
industry.
"I don't believe that what happened at JWT is exemplary of
what's happening in our industry. It's a one-man mistake," Mr. Levy
responded. "But it's not a fair representation of the
industry."
Other speakers at the 4As conference took issue with Mr. Levy's
characterization of the state of diversity in the industry,
including WPP CEO Martin Sorrell who said that Mr. Levy "has a
habit of ignoring the facts." Mr. Sorrell said he disagreed with
the rival executive's suggestion that racism and sexism aren't
widespread issues in the industry.
In an internal memo sent to Publicis managers on Tuesday, Mr.
Levy clarified that when he replied to the reporter's question, he
was focused on the alleged racist, anti-Semitic and sexist comments
made by JWT's CEO. Mr. Levy, in the memo, called the allegations in
the complaint "appalling."
The lawsuit against JWT's former CEO, filed by a female
employee, accuses him of making offensive remarks about
African-Americans and people of Jewish faith, as well as making
jokes about rape.
"I must say that his comments, if true, are jaw dropping," Mr.
Levy wrote in the internal memo. "To such an extent, that in my
opinion, they can only represent the unforgivable fault of one man,
as opposed to an industry-wide evil. On this point, I maintain my
position, and I dare hope that I am right - I can't for one second
imagine that it is common in our industry (or in any other) to make
jokes at every turn about women, blacks and Jews, and to speak of a
subject as sensitive as rape, as it was depicted in [JWT Chief
Communications Officer] Erin Johnson's complaint. Should a case of
this nature be brought to our attention in our own Groupe, we would
react strongly and without delay."
Mr. Levy stated that diversity remains a key focus for the
company and highlighted initiatives in place to promote those
efforts. Thirty-eight percent of Publicis' executive positions are
held by women and the supervisory board is equally divided among
men and women, statistics Mr. Levy highlighted in his note.
"I am not wide-eyed, and I am well aware that striking the
deserved balance is still some distance away," Mr. Levy wrote. "We
know there is a lot of work left to be done, across the industry,
with regards to compensation, mobility, promotions, leadership and
hiring."
Mr. Levy also addressed Mr. Sorrell's comments about him, saying
that "he once again showed his extraordinary level of
hypocrisy."
"This situation began in his company, in one of his largest
agencies, with a CEO, therefore someone who is meant to lead by
example," Mr. Levy said. "His colleague did everything possible to
have her story be heard."
Write to Nathalie Tadena at nathalie.tadena@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 29, 2016 17:51 ET (21:51 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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