Ex-Mediacom CEO Mark Pejic to join IPG Mediabrands as Melbourne chairman
Pejic
Former Mediacom CEO Mark Pejic is to join IPG Mediabrands as its new chairman in Melbourne.
The major media agency move comes just days after Pejic abruptly departed Mediacom after four years.
Rumours of Pejic’s new appointment have been swirling around Melbourne’s media agencies for days, with IPG Mediabrands this morning confirming the move.
In a statement the advertising group confirmed Pejic’s hiring with Peter Butler IPG Mediabrands managing director to remain until the end of the year, before moving to a “consulting role”.
“We are stepping up our plans for growth in the Melbourne market and Mark Pejic undoubtedly has the media skills and leadership qualities to ensure those plans become a reality,” said IPG Mediabrands global CEO Henry Tajer in a statement.
“Mark as the right qualities to partner with our senior Melbourne-based clients, lead our diverse skill sets and make a strong contribution to the senior leadership of IPG Mediabrands nationally.”
Mark Pejic commented: “I am absolutely excited to be joining Mediabrands in the capacity of chairman, Melbourne. I look forward to working with their many talented people and clients in my home town. I have long admired the investment that they continue to make in their people and businesses, which are creating first class results in all areas. It’s a great time to be joining the Mediabrands family”
Pejic’s departure from Mediacom on Tuesday came months after it emerged the agency had submitted inflated claims to some clients on the TV audiences its campaigns had delivered. As a result, clients Foxtel and IAG shifted their accounts to sister agency Mindshare.
In the wake of the departure Mediacom and Pejic both insisted that the resignation was unrelated to the controversy. Mumbrella does not allege Pejic was involved in wrongdoing or was aware of misreporting on TV audiences or the charging of clients for “valuebank” inventory.
Butler
IPG Mediabrands said Peter Butler, who has run the IPG Mediabrands business in Melbourne since 2008, will move to a consultancy role in which IPG Mediabrands will be his first client.
Melbourne is home to one of Mediabrands’s biggest clients supermarket giant Wesfarmers which owns major retailers Coles, Target and Kmart.
“With his amassed knowledge and experience in the market, we are delighted that Pete has chosen Mediabrands as his first client as he transitions to the world of consulting. He will continue to be most valuable to Mark Pejic and the wider group into the future. Pete will continue in his current role to the end of this year and will establish his consulting business from the beginning of 2016,” said Tajer.
Peter Butler said: “It’s an exciting but also challenging time for the industry but I believe the Mediabrands model is very well placed to adapt to the challenges, be increasingly relevant and continue its success. While after seven years I have chosen to lessen my time to Mediabrands from January, my belief and commitment in what we are endeavouring to achieve remains.”
When asked today about who Pejic would report to at Mediabrands was unable to confirm the reporting line.
Nic Christensen
The announcement:
One of the most visible executives in the Australian media industry, Mark Pejic, has been appointed chairman of IPG Mediabrands’ Melbourne operations. Formerly CEO of Mediacom Australia, Pejic will join Mediabrands at a date to be announced.
“We are stepping up our plans for growth in the Melbourne market and Mark Pejic undoubtedly has the media skills and leadership qualities to ensure those plans become a reality,” said IPG Mediabrands global CEO Henry Tajer. “Mark as the right qualities to partner with our senior Melbourne-based clients, lead our diverse skill sets and make a strong contribution to the senior leadership of IPG Mediabrands nationally.”
Tajer added, “Pete Butler is our most senior executive in Melbourne. He has led by example and ensured the smooth evolution of our business as we have launched new communications brands to provide wider skills for our clients. He has been talking to us for some time about a change in his role, but agreed to do this in a way that ensured a smooth transition.
“With his amassed knowledge and experience in the market, we are delighted that Pete has chosen Mediabrands as his first client as he transitions to the world of consulting. He will continue to be most valuable to Mark Pejic and the wider group into the future. Pete will continue in his current role to the end of this year and will establish his consulting business from the beginning of 2016,” said Tajer.
IPG Mediabrands’ operations in Melbourne consist of teams from media agencies UM and Initiative, search agency Reprise, social specialist Society, creative, sponsorship and activations specialist Ensemble, intelligence and investment specialist Magna Global, research and analytics business Anomaly, mobile communications agency Mnet and digital programmatic agency Cadreon.
Mark Pejic commented: “I am absolutely excited to be joining Mediabrands in the capacity of chairman, Melbourne. I look forward to working with their many talented people and clients in my home town. I have long admired the investment that they continue to make in their people and businesses, which are creating first class results in all areas. It’s a great time to be joining the Mediabrands family”
Peter Butler said: “It’s an exciting but also challenging time for the industry but I believe the Mediabrands model is very well placed to adapt to the challenges, be increasingly relevant and continue its success. While after seven years I have chosen to lessen my time to Mediabrands from January, my belief and commitment in what we are endeavouring to achieve remains.”
“One of the most visible executives”
User ID not verified.
Um who will Pejic report to? Henry Tajer, Danny Bass or Mat Baxter…
User ID not verified.
Hi Observer,
We have asked this question of IPG Mediabrands at this stage they are unable to confirm the precise reporting line.
Cheers
Nic – Mumbrella
Is there anyone left at GroupM who hasn’t gone to Mediabrands? Baxter, Pejic, Bass, Richter, Livingstone. They certainly have a focused recruitment policy!!
User ID not verified.
Good to see Melbourne media talent back on home soil!
User ID not verified.
It’s a “Galalcticos” strategy. Bass as Beckham , Pejic as Zidane
User ID not verified.
I am sure Danny Bass and Mark Pejic will immensely enjoy working closely with each other.. so much respect between these two.
User ID not verified.