M&C Saatchi names Ogilvy global executive David Dahan as Melbourne managing director
M&C Saatchi has named Ogilvy global managing partner David Dahan as managing director of its Melbourne office after a global search.
Frenchman Dahan will relocate from London where he has worked for five years on the Dove Worldwide account for Ogilvy, and since January 2014 also as director of sales on One Unilever.
M&C Saatchi Australia Group CEO Jaimes Leggett, who was managing director of Ogilvy & Mather UK for three years before taking the M&C role in 2013, described Dahan as “world class”.
“He has a brilliant strategic mind honed by global roles working with some of the world’s most famous brands,” he said.
“He has an incredible creative record and I have no doubt he’ll be a perfect foil for M&C Saatchi Melbourne ECD Paul Taylor.”
Prior to Ogilvy, Dahan spent five years with BBDO in Singapore in various strategic and account leadership positions and five years at Lowe in Paris, working on a number of brands including Mercedes-Benz, Tiger, MTV, Dulux, Johnson & Johnson, Aviva, Toyota, Dirt is Good and Hellmann’s.
The struggling Melbourne office was merged with independent agency Samuelson Talbot & Partners in September 2013, with managing director Kenny Hill departed in early 2014 amid a shakeup.
M&C Saatchi Melbourne partner Bob Talbot added: “David’s global experience and entrepreneurial spirit really stood out during our global search. He was the clear stand out and we’re delighted he’s signed on with us.”
Dahan said his new employers were “pioneering thinkers”.
“[They] are able to challenge convention and respond to the ever-changing market in a way that allows them to deliver great, innovative work for their clients,” he said.
“With my creative partner Paul Taylor, we will push the team to always bring fresh perspectives, innovative solutions and brutally simple ideas to the table.”
congratulations and good luck David
Sounds good…. think there’s a big fat beauty company, based in Melbourne in fact just up the road from your new office.. just waiting for someone and an agency like this to come along. I think you’re worth it!!
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Nice one David.
Welcome to Australia.
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@ Rosie – are you the same Rosie Valentine who just said this about M&C hiring a planner from London… Congratulations to Ross. But the number of people agency talent that is being imported for senior positions is a sad indictment of the culture of nurturing and teaching within Aussie Agencies.
We are either not taking the time to train people to be first class leaders, or we have become complacent & lazy.
For an agency with a ‘salary freeze’ on M&C are sure spending a lot of cash to bring in talent….
Perhaps they need to start looking at some account service 101 here.
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@Could the Real…. Totally agree – amazing talent in Australia – but it seems it’s not fashionable these days to source from the home farm. So you can’t slam the lucky winners of imported high salaried people who luck into Oz on massive salaries… like they will say no. Who wouldn’t want a stint in Sunny Oz. Salary freezes Ha!! Maybe an overhaul of Head Hunters in this country is also on the table. Maybe we need a #MadeInAustralia hashtag for the Aussies.
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I retract that last bit actually. I am actually thinking of having a NZ based agency – i feel they are more ethical – but say what you feel its my opinion.
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