Omnicom Commerce Group (OCG) today announced the appointment of Jacquelyn Baker as CEO. She succeeds Sophie Daranyi, who decided to step down to pursue consultancy and non-profit opportunities.
“I am humbled, honored, and thrilled to be joining the Omnicom Commerce Group family to lead this talented collective of industry defining agencies and capabilities into the future of commerce for our clients,” said Baker. “I look forward to building upon the incredible foundation and vision set forth by Sophie.”
Daranyi played a key role in the search for new leadership and will oversee the transition to Baker.
“While I’ve relished my time at Omnicom and will miss the people and our clients, I feel it’s the right time to change direction,” explained Daranyi. “Jacquelyn will be an outstanding leader for OCG and brings the right expertise and fresh perspective to drive OCG’s future growth.”
The new CEO of Omnicom Commerce Group will report to Michael Larson, CEO of the DAS Group of Companies (DAS). The appointment of Baker will be effective next August.
“Jacquelyn brings a unique combination of strategic acumen, client leadership and a proven track record in innovation and driving growth. We’re delighted she’s joining us to accelerate OCG’s vision and bring our product offer to the next stage,” commented Larson. “We are very grateful to have benefitted from Sophie’s industry experience and strong leadership over the past few years, and we thank her for ensuring this successful handover.”
From Chief Experience Officer at VMLY&R to CEO at Omnicom Commerce Group
Jacquelyn Baker joins from VMLY&R Commerce, where she was Chief Experience Officer. She previously served as Managing Director of VMLY&R and was instrumental in driving commerce integration across the network following its 2021 merger with Geometry Global. Prior to that, she was VP Business Innovation at Rockfish.
With over 20 years of management, commerce and brand building expertise, Baker has an established track record of driving innovation within the commerce landscape. She is a recognized thought leader and strategic guide for clients across digital marketing, ecommerce and omnichannel customer strategy. She was named Account Leader of the Year by Campaign US in 2022 and a 2021 Women of Excellence Innovator award winner by Path to Purchase Institute.
Daranyi led the creation of Omnicom Commerce Group
Sophie Daranyi led the original business strategy and creation of OCG in October 2021. She played a pivotal role in setting the connected commerce agenda at Omnicom and pioneered the creation of OMNI Commerce, the ecosystem of data, partnerships, and tools on Omnicom’s OMNI platform. In addition, she was instrumental in the 2022 launch of Transact, a dedicated practice focused on connected-commerce consulting and eRetail execution services. The new agency played a key role in several new business wins including the L’Oréal USA media business, among others.
Prior to her role as OCG CEO, Daranyi was CEO of Haygarth, where she led the agency’s sale to Omnicom in 2015. Later, she was named CEO of RAPP UK overseeing Haygarth, RAPP and Code Worldwide, before moving to OCG.
