SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Omnicom Group Inc. ("Omnicom") (NYSE: OMC), the leading global advertising and marketing services group, has established the Omnicom MBA Scholarship Awards, presented to outstanding students enrolled in MBA programs in China. The awards reflect Omnicom's strong commitment to education and represent a part of its continuing program to support the development of young talent in China.

The first recipients of the scholarship awards were announced today at a ceremony held at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai, where the students are enrolled. Three students were selected through an essay contest on the theme of environmental sustainability. In addition to the scholarships, Omnicom will also make a financial contribution to the CEIBS student activity fund to support CEIBS student teams' participation in global MBA competitions.

"Omnicom has a long and successful tradition of investing in education and talent development, both in China and around the world," said Serge Dumont, Omnicom Senior Vice President and President Asia Pacific. "We have a vital role to play in the development of young local talent, and it is my sincere hope that the Omnicom MBA Scholarships will assist in furthering the knowledge and skills of the students. Omnicom will continue to invest in programs with key universities in China aimed at nurturing the next generation of talent."

Rolf Cremer, Dean of CEIBS, commented, "CEIBS is proud to be associated with Omnicom. The Omnicom Group MBA Scholarship at CEIBS encourages the pursuit of excellence by our MBA students and fosters a spirit of self- advancement. Omnicom's additional contribution to the CEIBS MBA Student Benefit Fund also allows us to enhance and expand student activities on campus and with the general community. CEIBS very much welcomes and looks forward to further developing our new partnership with Omnicom."

The winners of the Omnicom MBA Scholarship are all Chinese nationals. They are first-year students of the CEIBS MBA program, specializing in Marketing. Their details are as follows:
    First prize:   Xu Yazhi, who has a bachelor's degree in International
                   Trade from Lanzhou Commercial College
    Second prize:  Li Jun, who has a bachelor's degree in International Trade
                   from Jilin University
    Third prize:   Zhang Xiaoning, who has a bachelor's degree in English
                   Linguistics and Literature from Dalian University of
                   Foreign Languages