Michał Wilczyński, associated with Publicis Groupe Polska since 2008, is promoted to the newly created position of Digital & Retail Media Investment Director within PMX structures.
This promotion not only rewards over a decade of building negotiation competencies in digital but also sets the strategic direction for the entire group: Retail Media and programmatic buying are becoming key battlegrounds for advertising budgets in Poland and the CEE region. Behind this single title lies the story of an expert who gradually became an architect of industry-wide standards.
New Position, New Competencies, New Responsibility
The promotion of Michał Wilczyński is not a typical change of name on a business card. The position of Digital & Retail Media Investment Director was created specifically to combine two rapidly growing areas of the digital advertising ecosystem: programmatic buying and Retail Media.
This is a clear signal that Publicis Groupe Polska treats these segments as investment and operational priorities for the coming years.
In his new role, Wilczyński has taken over responsibilities from Marta Zielonka, the previous Programmatic & Retail Media Investment Leader, who after years of success within the group's structures decided to pursue her career outside the organization. At the same time, he remains responsible for the existing online area, including negotiations of trade conditions in the direct model and cooperation with global digital platforms.
"Michał has over a decade of experience in shaping investment strategies and trade policies in cooperation with the digital partners of our Group. The promotion is therefore a natural step confirming his professionalism and effectiveness." – Bartosz Sieradzki, Investment & Trading Director at Publicis Groupe Polska.
Alongside the expansion of his competencies, Wilczyński continues to lead his team within PMX – responsible for the overall digital investment strategy, building consistent purchasing standards, and active support in recruiting specialists for complex technological projects.
Over 15 Years in Digital Investment – from Coordinator to Director
Michał Wilczyński's path to the director position is a textbook example of a career built consistently, step by step, within a single, dynamically changing ecosystem. He took his first steps in the industry at Szybko.pl, one of the first Polish classified ad portals, where he gained fundamental experience in the online environment.
The breakthrough moment was joining Starcom MediaVest Group – one of the leading media agencies in Poland and worldwide, part of the Publicis Groupe holding. There, over several years, he advanced from coordinator to manager, building competencies in digital media planning and campaign management for the largest Polish and international advertisers.
In 2008, he became associated with the broader structures of Publicis Groupe Polska, where over the following years he co-created and developed negotiation teams – initially under the VivaKi brand, a precursor structure concentrating programmatic competencies within the holding, and then within PMX (formerly Publicis Media Exchange).
In 2014, he took the position of Digital Investment Manager at Publicis Media, and in July 2024 he was promoted to Digital Investment Lead – and just a few months later received a promotion to the director role.
"With full trust, we entrust him with responsibility for the area of programmatic negotiations and operational oversight on behalf of the Investment & Trading team over the Retail Media segment.Both of these areas are developing dynamically and have strategic importance for our clients."
– Bartosz Sieradzki, Investment & Trading Director at Publicis Groupe Polska.
Today, Michał Wilczyński is an expert combining a strategic approach with a strong data orientation, operating both in the Polish market and in the CEE region.
He actively supports the development of the group's technology products and the building of cooperation models with digital partners – from global platforms, through programmatic networks, to e-commerce platforms developing their own advertising ecosystems.
Retail Media – The Hottest Trend in Europe's Digital Landscape
Wilczyński's promotion fits into one of the most important trends reshaping the global media market.
Promotion at Publicis Groupe Polska as an Opportunity for Retail Media Growth
Retail Media – i.e., advertising space within the ecosystems of commerce platforms such as e-commerce stores, shopping apps, or loyalty networks – is growing at a pace that just a few years ago seemed unattainable.
According to the IAB Europe Retail Media State of the Nation 2024 report (published in Q4 2024), Retail Media spending in Europe exceeded €8 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach €25 billion by 2027, becoming the third-largest digital advertising channel after search and social media. In Poland, estimated advertiser spending on Retail Media exceeded PLN 400 million in 2024, and PwC analysts forecast it will double by 2027.
The programmatic segment, meanwhile, has been the driving force of the entire display market for years. Data from IAB Polska indicates that in 2024, over 65% of display budgets in Poland are executed in the programmatic model, and this share is systematically growing as the data and targeting technology market matures.
Globally, the value of programmatic buying is expected, according to Dentsu (Global Ad Spend Forecasts, 2025), to exceed $800 billion by 2028.
"I thank Marta for her enormous commitment and invaluable contribution to building our competencies, not only in programmatic and retail media. Working with her was a true pleasure and honor. I wish Marta many successes in pursuing new professional challenges."
– Bartosz Sieradzki, Investment & Trading Director, Publicis Groupe Polska.
For Publicis Groupe Polska, this means a clear market message: the holding invests not only in people but in entire structures responsible for growing client budgets in these segments.
Entrusting both areas to one person with such extensive negotiation and analytical experience is a deliberate strategic decision, not merely a staffing move.
PMX and the "Power of One" Model – How Publicis Integrates the Power of Digital Investment
PMX, or Publicis Media Exchange, is the central purchasing and technology hub of Publicis Groupe, responsible for negotiations with media partners, data management, and implementation of programmatic solutions at the entire holding level.
This structure allows agencies within Publicis Groupe Polska – from Starcom, through Zenith, to Performics – to benefit from shared trade terms, technology, and market knowledge.
It is PMX that is the operational heart of the Power of One philosophy, which Publicis Groupe Polska introduced as a competency integration model. Instead of several independent agencies competing for budgets, holding clients receive integrated services covering creation, media, data, and technology – handled by one organism. Over 2,200 experts work in Warsaw within this structure, serving clients from the FMCG, technology, energy, and financial sectors.
Wilczyński's promotion strengthens the pillars of PMX precisely at the points that generate the greatest value growth for advertisers: programmatic negotiations require deep knowledge of both SSP/DSP technology and the realities of the Polish and regional data market; Retail Media, in turn, requires understanding the business models of commerce platforms and their appetite for monetizing traffic through advertising ecosystems.
Publicis Groupe Polska
Publicis Groupe Polska is the Warsaw branch of one of the three largest advertising holdings in the world – the French Publicis Groupe, listed on the Paris stock exchange. The company operates in Poland in the Power of One model, integrating over 2,200 specialists from the areas of creation, media, data, and technology under one roof.
It includes creative agencies (Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Publicis), media agencies (Starcom, Zenith, Performics), MSL (PR and influence), production Prodigious, and data center YOTTA. In 2023, the subsidiary Publicis Poland achieved revenues of PLN 55.18 million, recording a 9.5% year-over-year increase.
Globally, Publicis Groupe generated revenues of €14.55 billion in 2025 with an operating margin of 18.2%. Fun fact: it was Publicis Groupe that was the first global advertising holding to announce in 2023 the implementation of its own AI platform – Marcel – connecting the competencies of all group employees worldwide in one technological environment.
