Jack Morton, Omnicom’s global experiential agency is merging with competitor Impact XM and going private by way of a private equity-backed deal. Omnicom acquired Jack Morton when it bought Interpublic last year. 

The majority owner is financial firm The Riverside Company. XM CEO Jared Pollacco will become CEO of the combined agency, which will retain Jack Morton branding.  Jack Morton CEO Craig Millon will become global president. And Josh McCall, who ran Jack Morton from 2003 until 2022 is coming out of retirement to serve as executive chairman of the firm’s board of directors.  

The combined firm will have over 1,000 staffers across 20 offices spanning North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. 

Services include orchestrating conferences, brand activations, trade shows, activations, corporate events and more.  

The deal is subject to “customary closing conditions,” and is expected to be completed in the first quarter.  

“We’re building an agency ready for a marketing landscape reshaped by AI, one that keeps real, human experience at the center,” stated Millon. 

Pollacco added that the merger “brings together the impact of XM’s unified experiential approach and Jack Morton’s global scale and creative strength.”