In a notable transition within the advertising sector, Alex Lubar has announced his departure from DDB Worldwide, where he served as global CEO, to assume the role of CEO at Fundamentalco, a burgeoning brand-consultancy firm. This move marks a significant shift as he takes the reins of a company that prioritizes brand strategy as a central component in driving business value.
Fundamentalco, founded by Jonny Bauer in 2024, focuses on integrating brand thinking into the essence of enterprise value creation, particularly by collaborating with private equity firms and their portfolios. Under Lubar’s leadership, the firm aims to enhance its advisory services, reinforcing its commitment to strategic brand consultation rather than traditional marketing practices.
Lubar will directly report to Bauer, who transitions into the position of executive founder. To bolster its growth trajectory, Fundamentalco has secured Quilvest Capital Partners as a strategic capital ally. Lubar expressed that his motivation for leaving DDB was fueled by a pursuit of more profound engagement with senior client leadership, particularly at the executive level, thus broadening his impact beyond conventional agency roles.
He commended the innovative framework that Bauer has established at Fundamentalco, describing it as “fundamentally different… strategically driven, technologically enabled, and built for execution.” Lubar’s extensive background in agency leadership is poised to play a critical role in advancing Fundamentalco’s integrated model, which fuses brand consulting with creative execution and AI-driven solutions.
This change in leadership arrives on the heels of Lubar’s brief but remarkable tenure at DDB, where he joined as president and chief operating officer in late 2022 before quickly ascending to global CEO in October 2023. His previous experience at McCann Worldgroup, where he held significant positions, including president of McCann North America and CEO of McCann London, solidifies his reputation in the industry.
Lubar’s exit from DDB occurs amidst a pivotal period for Omnicom, which is set to finalize a major acquisition of the Interpublic Group (IPG), potentially creating the largest advertising conglomerate worldwide. As Fundamentalco welcomes Lubar, the firm is well-positioned to redefine brand strategy in the evolving landscape of consultancy and advertising.