Strategist and team player

(Pictures: Chris Reist)

m&k: Alexander Haldemann, in May you became Chairman of MetaDesign, an agency belonging to Publicis. Now you have been appointed CEO of the entire company. Were you surprised yourself at how quickly it all happened?

Alexander Haldemann: Admittedly, the plan was different. I had sold MetaDesign to Publicis in 2016 and, as CEO, was responsible for integrating it into the global network. In 2020, I passed the baton to Lukas Eiselin and was looking forward to continuing as Chairman of MetaDesign - on an international level. But as the saying goes: firstly, things turn out differently, and secondly, things turn out differently than you think.

You now head the largest communications group in the country. What makes your company special in your eyes - beyond its sheer size? 

You said it right: we see ourselves as a communications group. A group of agencies that together cover the entire spectrum of communication. From digital expertise to advertising, branding, PR, media and technology. And this diversity is really impressive. The second thing that sets us apart is our pan-Swiss perspective with our offices in Lausanne and Zurich. Especially in Switzerland, where we have a special understanding of regionality, this is an important aspect. And the third thing is that we don't just operate in Switzerland, but have 80,000 colleagues in over 100 countries. So there are few topics that our Group as a whole cannot cover.

In what kind of situation do you take the helm?

There are actually two answers: the pandemic is a major challenge for everyone working in the communications industry. Our employees are not on site. Our customers also have to go through this crisis with their customers and expect us to help them. We are constantly faced with new challenges, and that shapes our day-to-day work. But if I look beyond the current moment, then I would say that I am also taking over at a point where we need to dovetail this diversity that we have in terms of agencies and skills even more closely. It's not just a buzzword. You can't just say: hey, digital, media and communication experts, from tomorrow you'll be a team and work hand in hand. This requires trust and needs to be practiced.

"Trust" is a good keyword. What leadership principles do you want to use to build this?

For me, the be-all and end-all: I don't "lead" anything on my own. That is not my idea and would be neither possible nor sensible. The first and most important principle is that people are at the center. That is very important to me. Our business depends on people, and the greatest asset we have is their personality and creativity. And that means that each individual must be able to develop and contribute. Personal success is the success of the agency - and vice versa.

What else do you want to tackle?

I want to strengthen diversity within the Group. Diversity of personalities, cultures, ideas, skills and disciplines. For me, "The Power of One" does not mean making everyone equal, but treating everyone equally, promoting and challenging everyone equally. My aim is to reinforce each agency in its own culture and to work together where important and appropriate. So that we as an agency group are capable of top performance.

There are one or two eccentric leaders in this industry. I know you as the exact opposite - as a calm, reflective person who strives for consensus. Has that made your career in the industry easier or more difficult?

Oh, you know ... I think you are who you are. And I believe that for agencies - or companies in general - to be successful, you need different personalities. It needs the calm, reflective thinker and it needs the lateral thinker who approaches a topic in a completely different and sometimes a little crazy way. I always see myself as part of a team - and I need both around me. Colleagues who are fundamentally different and who criticize me and openly question my statements. I expect this in constructive cooperation and in the fight for the best solution: headwinds.

WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell has left his network days behind him and is now accusing agency groups such as Publicis of not being flexible and fast enough. Can you understand this accusation?

Of course. That is clear. With a certain size always comes a certain sluggishness. And that's not just the case in the communications industry. Take the financial industry, for example: every large company today wants to be a small, lean FinTech start-up. But the reality is that I know of few start-ups that can offer as broad a range of services as the established players. I am certainly glad that I have access to several thousand experts worldwide in every area in which Publicis is involved. However, the great art is not to become sluggish as a result and not to lose sight of the customer. We face this challenge
us.

How do company size and creativity interfere? Don't more radical ideas inevitably grind themselves out when they pass through institutional structures?

In my view, creativity always arises from the best composition of the team working on a task. And my job is to create the breeding ground so that our teams can achieve exactly that - surprising, bold, unconventional solutions. I also like to say: "We are experts for our customers, not service providers." When the customer says after a presentation: "Hey, that's really good what you've done - three great solutions! Thank you!", then I'm not happy. That means we haven't challenged the customer enough. We need to surprise them and hurt them a little in order to move them forward and meet their challenges in the long term.

Can this be reconciled with the "pitching culture", which encourages people to play it safe?

"Play it safe" is not the solution. There's a huge risk that you'll always end up in the middle of the field and never really hit your stride. We could talk about pitches for a long time, but I'm not a big fan of them myself. What I miss is the collaboration with the customer. I am convinced that the best results are achieved when you collaborate with the client and form a real team: Client and agency. This cannot be simulated in a pitch. I prefer to rely on chemistry meetings and smaller trial assignments.

In Your last interview with m&k was also about one of the topics close to your heart - "Purpose". What role does the term play at Publicis?

You are right. Purpose is very close to my heart. Above all, because with MetaDesign I have experienced time and again the transformative power of the "Why". But the crucial thing is: it's not enough to have a purpose. You also have to live it. And this is where I rely on the strength of our group as a whole: not only developing purpose, but also making it fly. The aim is for employees to identify with the company's attitude. And that customers feel the purpose in every interaction. With a wide range of skills in our agencies, we can tackle each phase with the right specialists - and still keep an eye on the big picture, the guiding star. Last but not least: Especially in times of crisis like these, which are particularly challenging for companies, you can see who really has attitude. And that also applies to us at the Publicis Group. "Walk the talk" is more than ever the maxim - and incidentally also the maxim by which I personally measure myself.