Naked’s global CEO Richard Dunmall departs after less than a year, restructure sees hubs reporting directly to Australia
Dunmall: CEO has quietly left Naked
Richard Dunmall, the global CEO of the Australian-owned Naked Communications, has left the business after just a few months at the helm, Mumbrella can reveal.
The former vice president of Microsoft Advertising only joined the agency in November and was based in New York. He quietly left in July.
He succeeded Steve Gatfield, who himself only spent a year as global chairman.
Naked Communications was originally founded in the UK in 2000 with an Australian office quickly following. The agency was bought by the Sydney-based Photon Group, now known as Enero, in 2008 for a downpayment of $37m.
Although the agency’s roots are in media strategy, it has attempted to diversify its offering, including a push into becoming a digital-centred agency signalled by Enero CEO Matthew Melhuish. Dunmall was seen a part of that plan.
However, Melhuish today told Mumbrella that the departure of Dunmall, who wanted to move from the US to the UK, had allowed him to restructure Naked’s management. Instead of a global CEO, Naked’s three major hubs of Australia, New York and London now report in directly to him.
Melhuish told Mumbrella: “The leaders in each market now report in directly to me. It makes for a simpler and more connected structure. It means the leaders in each market are working more closely together as a team to deliver a consistent offer globally. Richard leaving allows us to have a simpler structure. The new structure is already delivering some pleasing results.”
Dunmall’s departure comes on top of a series of local upheavals for Naked. In July, Mike Wilson, chairman of the Australian and New Zealand business departed, with former Clemenger Group executive Tim Parker brought in to stand in as local CEO.
It came a year after CEO Phil Hayden departed after nine months at the helm.
The Australian agency was co-founded by Wilson, Mat Baxter and Adam Ferrier. With Baxter, now CEO of UM, departing in 2009, Ferrier is the only remaining member of the founding trio.
Tim Burrowes
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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“Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, the eyes, the eyes, eyes, not around the eyes, don’t look around the eyes, look into my eyes…you’re under.”
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oh yeah. Those eyes. I feel like getting Naked.
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