Universal Registration Document 2021

Message de Monsieur Maurice Lévy Président du Conseil de surveillance

Always be ready for ready for the next world the next world

Following two years of a global health crisis, that we thought we had seen the end of, I could have told you about restored serenity. This serenity is all the more credible given Publicis' rather exceptional 2021 results. We exceeded all expectations, in terms of both growth and profitability. If such a performance is a source of great pride in normal times, it is all the more so in a period when “the abnormal” is becoming the new norm.

Obviously, I want to start by acknowledging everyone’s hard work and ability to adapt. From employees to managers, from the Management Board to the Supervisory Board, we have all had to adapt: reviewing our working methods over time, rethinking our organisation and our services. We have had to react quickly to preserve the physical and mental health of our employees, save jobs, consolidate the confidence of our clients and our shareholders. The Groupe’s financial results have proven the accuracy of our reactions, the extent of the efforts made by everyone, the relevance of the solutions provided and the power of our tools and our model. Given this commitment by all, the Supervisory Board supported the proposal to provide a bonus to all employees who have been with the Groupe for the past two years.

Always being ready for the next world is in Publicis’ DNA. The Groupe has always been able to seize opportunities in opening up to the world, internationalising very early on, making bold and decisive acquisitions, some which were not always understood, and anticipated the changes linked to digital, to the Platform World, before they became the norm.

Always being ready for the next world is an essential quality of our industry. “The future” is our raw material as communicators! We need to surround ourselves with the best talent to understand the fundamental trends of society, identify the transformations faced by clients and their business sectors, decipher new consumer habits via data and imagine creative responses to all of these developments. The Management Board has therefore worked hard to diversify, strengthen, train and reinvigorate the Groupe’s teams, particularly at a managerial level. 2021 also made it possible to cement the “Future of Work”, with for example, the ambitious “Work Your World” program; a fine demonstration of the Groupe’s creativity and attractiveness as an employer. Since hybrid working is now an obvious choice for employees and candidates, it is better to make it an opportunity for our people’s mobility and an accelerator to draw synergies across our agencies all over the world.