Former CEO Files Federal Age and Gender Discrimination Claims Against Omnicom Group

Lawsuit cites 'culture of discrimination' against women, older employees

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The former chief executive officer of Dallas-based TPN Holdings, an affiliate of global marketing communications giant Omnicom Group (NYSE:OMC), has filed a lawsuit in Dallas federal court alleging violations of federal and state gender and age discrimination statutes by the companies.

Ellen Cook, 63, had served as CEO of TPN Holdings since 2023 before being fired in 2024. Previously, she served almost 20 years as president and later CEO of The Integer Group, another affiliate of New York-based Omnicom. According to the lawsuit, in her most recent role, Ms. Cook successfully merged The Integer Group Dallas with TPN and stabilized revenue growth for TPN and stabilized the problematic financial issues that developed under her predecessor from The Integer Group.

After discovering that an individual had received annual compensation at a rate more than 40% higher, Ms. Cook sought a review that led to retaliation from Omnicom’s executive management and ultimately her termination.

According to the lawsuit, these actions represent a pattern of “a significant and accelerating decline in the representation of women in leadership roles” at Omnicom that “coincided with the reciprocal removal of numerous senior female executives, many of whom were replaced by less experienced and younger male counterparts.”

The lawsuit lists seven other women formerly in high-profile roles at Omnicom companies who were terminated under similar circumstances in recent years. The lawsuit states between 2021 and early 2025, male executive leadership at Omnicom Commerce Group grew from 33% to 75% and included the elimination of the only CEO role held by a woman over the age of 60 – Ms. Cook.

“This litigation is exposing a culture of a glass ceiling gender and age discrimination at Omnicom that the quantitative pay metrics prove is by all accounts intentional and undertaken in reckless disregard of the law,” says Ms. Cook’s attorney Rogge Dunn. “These laws protect our entire society, including the advertising industry, from the acts of would-be Don Drapers seeking a return to the 1950s. The facts make clear that what happened to Ms. Cook is but one example of the inequity and prejudice occurring at this company to this very day.”

The case is Ellen Cook v. Omnicom Group, Inc. and TPN Holdings LLC, No. 3:25-cv-01245-X in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Rogge Dunn Group has built a well-deserved reputation for aggressive litigation, outstanding results and attentive client service. Led by founding partner Rogge Dunn, the firm is well known for successfully trying high-profile business, financial and employment disputes. This trial experience fosters innovative strategies to obtain effective settlements and minimize litigation risks for corporate and individual clients. Based in Dallas, the firm tries cases in state and federal courts in Texas and throughout the United States. Learn more about the firm at www.roggedunngroup.com.