DDB raids M&C Saatchi for new creative leader Ben Welsh after Toby Talbot departure
Welsh joining DDB after 19 years at M&C Saatchi
DDB has raided M&C Saatchi and lured agency veteran Ben Welsh into the role of chief creative officer after the departure of Toby Talbot earlier this week.
Welsh was creative chairman of M&C Saatchi Asia and has been with the agency for almost 20 years.
The move marks a return of the creative to DDB where he worked for five years in the early 1990s before moving to M&C.
DDB Australia CEO Andrew Little said the move to hire Welsh was the perfect addition to the agency.
“Ben is such a great person and the perfect creative leader for our agency as we look to continue our creative trajectory,” Little said.
Welsh was one of the early recruits following the foundation of M&C, his hire by the agency at the time considered a coup.
During his tenure Welsh rose to become chief creative officer, working closely with Tom McFarlane.
More recently he was handed the job of driving the creative product of the agency across Asia.
Welsh will start at the agency on August 1 and said he was looking forward to his return to the DDB fold.
“It’s a stand-out office in one of the world’s great networks, and the time is right for me to return to DDB,” Welsh said.
“Toby has done a brilliant job during his tenure and I look forward to building on that. He has assembled a team brimming with talent who I can’t wait to work with.”
DDB Group chairman Marty O’Halloran said he was looking forward to the return of Welsh in light of the track record he had forged at M&C.
“Ben has long been at the forefront of exceptional creative work in Australia and I’m delighted to welcome him back to the DDB family,” O’Halloran said.
“His proven track record of delivering integrated, award-winning telco, financial services and automotive campaigns will no doubt inspire the creative teams to continue to develop world-leading work.”
Simon Canning
One of the loveliest, genuinely kind-hearted blokes in the business.
Congrats Ben. May DDB give you the time and space to succeed.
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I couldn’t agree more with Tom’s comment. Ben is brilliant and so down to earth. Good luck Ben you’re going to be be greatly missed!
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Great move Ben
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Great guy. All the best Ben
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