Buying operations will be led by Chris Locke, UK group trading director at Starcom, and Chris Hayward, head of investment in ZenithOptimedia. Both will also continue with their current agency duties.
Gerry Boyle, chief executive of ZenithOptimedia, and Stewart Easterbrook, his counterpart at Starcom MediaVest Group, will sit on the board, as will Chris Mandale, chief financial officer of VivaKi EMEA.
The move signals Publicis' long-awaited entry into group buying, competing with WPP's GroupM and Omnicom's OPera.
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