Laura Desmond, chief revenue officer for Publicis Groupe, will resign from the holding company effective Dec. 31, Publicis announced today.

Ms. Desmond has been on a leave of absence since July 1 dealing with what Publicis described as a "significant family health matter." She had served as global CEO of Starcom Mediavest Group and its individual media agency brands before moving into the new chief revenue officer role as part of a larger holding company reorganization late last year. During her leave, Ms. Desmond's duties were handled by Rishad Tobaccowala. He will continue in this role as strategy and growth officer, Publicis stated today.

In a statement Ms. Desmond said: "I am very grateful to [Publicis Chairman/CEO] Maurice Levy and everyone at Publicis Groupe for their support during my leave. The family health issue is significantly better. This sabbatical allowed me to consider where my greatest entrepreneurial and leadership opportunity existed. After thoughtful reflection and discussions with Maurice, I have concluded this is the right step for me. I leave the Groupe with nothing but thanks and appreciation for the opportunities and support I've received throughout my career and during my leave."

Mr. Levy stated: "We are all very grateful to Laura for her many important contributions to Publicis Groupe and are sorry to see her go. I know that Laura will continue to be as incredibly successful in the future as she has been with us. With my colleagues of the management board we wish her only the very best."