New Jack Morton Leaders on Merger Post-Omnicom Exit and Why Future of Experiential Has Never Been Brighter

“Our industry is at an inflection point. As AI and digital tools accelerate, brands are realising that real, human experiences are becoming more valuable, not less,” says soon-to-be Jack Morton CEO, Jared Pollacco.

Following the announcement this week that the former IPG experiential agency had gone private and merged with fellow global experiential agency, Impact XM – where Jared is currently CEO – he tells LBB that experiential is evolving into a core marketing channel, with a premium on generating meaningful connection and provable impact.

Current Jack Morton CEO, Craig Millon, who will serve as global president of the unified agency (retaining the Jack Morton name), adds that going private enables them to focus on creating world-class brand experiences across both B2C and B2B that do just that. “It gives us the flexibility to invest in the areas where we see the strongest growth, capitalise on key innovations that are making experiences even more powerful, and make decisions that are fully aligned with our long-term vision.”

He shares that the agency’s new private equity partner, The Riverside Company, had approached IPG with “a clear interest in Jack Morton” as a complement to its existing investment in Impact XM. The two agencies will be maintaining all existing client relationships, and already share several clients in the tech and health sectors – “collaborating successfully for some time now”.

Craig describes the agencies as being well-suited not just business-wise but culturally, too – something he believes “ultimately determines whether a merger succeeds”. He explains, “That made it clear that bringing our organisations together was not just a good match, but an opportunity to build something even stronger together.”

From Jared’s perspective, Jack Morton represented “a fast-forward button” for Impact XM’s existing trajectory. “We started as a fabrication-led business and had been deliberately expanding upstream into strategy, creative, content, and digital. Jack Morton is world-class in those areas, with a globally respected brand and a complementary client base. Bringing our strengths together allows us to offer a truly end-to-end experiential model much faster than either of us could alone, without changing who we are at our core.”

Meanwhile, Craig was drawn to Impact XM’s stand-out work at industry-defining moments like CES, its New Balance activation at the New York City Marathon, and its work with shared client Nvidia. “It became clear,” he says, “together, we don’t just participate in the biggest moments, we elevate them.”

The merger is subject to customary approvals and is expected to close in Q1 of 2026. Looking ahead to the first few months as CEO of the new Jack Morton, Jared anticipates the biggest challenge will be integration discipline, or more plainly, “resisting the urge to move too fast”.

He says, “When you bring together two strong organisations, there’s a lot of excitement and a lot of opportunity. The work is making sure we integrate in a way that protects culture, talent, and client trust. That requires patience, transparency, and clear decision-making, especially as we align systems and ways of working.

“The first priority is continuity,” he adds, “making sure our people, clients, and partners feel steady and supported. That means clear communication, stable teams, and no disruption to client delivery. From there, it’s about aligning leadership, setting shared priorities, and identifying where the combined capabilities create immediate value, especially across strategy, execution, and measurement. This isn’t about rushing integration; it’s about getting the foundation right so we can scale thoughtfully.”

Once everything and everyone is settled, incoming global president Craig is circling one sector in particular as a crucial touchpoint for experiential, especially in 2026: sports.

“One of the most exciting shifts we are seeing in the brand experience space is the growing importance of how brands identify, concept, build, and measure live sports sponsorships, from negotiations through to the experiences themselves.

“Looking ahead to 2026, the FIFA World Cup coming to North America will be a major cultural turning point,” he continues. “The level of coordination, scale and global energy it brings is unmatched, and brand experiences will be the currency that determines which brands truly rise to the moment. With the world watching, every activation becomes an opportunity to connect with fans in a way that is authentic, impactful, and unforgettable.

“For Jack Morton and our clients, this moment opens up new creative possibilities and gives us the opportunity to push the boundaries of how brands participate in culture, both on the biggest stages and in more intimate moments. And with the LA Olympics right around the corner in 2028, the opportunity for brands to show up meaningfully on the world’s biggest stages has never been greater.”