Ikon founder: I don’t want to talk about why we sacked Johns
Ikon’s new chairman Simon White has refused to discuss the departure of former national CEO Dan Johns and rejected speculation about the media agency’s practices involving online trading.
AdNews had suggested that the departure of national CEO Dan Johns and other senior staff such as Ellie Rogers and Leonie Kerley may have followed their pushing for greater transparency.
“(The allegations) are not true. We are absolutely transparent,” White – who co-founded the agency more than a decade ago before selling to STW – told Mumbrella.
“Ikon is transparent, our ultimate objective is to get the best possible cost per conversion for any sales for our clients. We are paid on performance to deliver clients results. It’s irrelevant.
“The real situation is not like what was reported. Dan is a great person and I would be happy to help him in the future if he wants to do something.”
White declined to explain how the new direction of Ikon would differ from what had occurred under the previous CEO. Instead White chose to focus on the appointment of Mindshare’s James Greet.
“There was only one person to me and that was James – his character, his ethics suit Ikon to a tee and we personally get on really well,” he said. “The reaction from the media, from the staff, from clients has been well beyond what I could even think of. I think people are pretty impressed with the choice we have made.”
“Senior media guys, senior clients have heard of him, they know what he is capable of and his capability is superb.”
The chairman of STW’s media holdings also addressed reports about the relationship between Ikon and sister agency Bohemia saying that he was happy to have the two firms operating separately. STW has a minority stake in Bohemia.
“My job as chairman is to align all stakeholder goals,” said White. “I believe it is better to have two hunters in the jungle – separate brands, separate propositions both out there in the industry.”
White refused to elaborate on the reasons for Johns and the other senior managers’ departure.
“We needed to have a new direction in this company that focuses more on what we do for a living which is how we sell our clients’ products,” said White.
When asked to clarify what this meant, White said that he had to go, and ended the interview.
Nic Christensen
The old ‘I’ll show you this hand whilst I hope you’re not looking at the other’ trick… this type of thing just isn’t doing anyone from STW / Ikon any favours. Esp when Ikon’s Chairman is so evasive and he’s banging on about transparency.
I just feel for the clients.
User ID not verified.
What seems deplorable is that great management was pushed out by STW and they were lining up the replacement all the while.
User ID not verified.
“We are totally transparent, but we are not going to tell you what happened”…
User ID not verified.
So Ikon is absolutely transparent but won’t talk about why Dan left. In addition Dan is a great person and Simon is happy to help him in the future.
In summary Ikon is transparent; just not transparent enough to actually be transparent nor to outline why Dan is great but not great enough to still be working at Ikon.
“We needed to have a new direction in this company that focuses back on more on the what we do for a living which is how we sell our clients products,”
Like talking in riddles? Crystal clear.
User ID not verified.
Very evasive. Heres a company that has won major awards, has performed profitably for its shareholders for years, and three of its talented senior executives get walked (two of them after 8 or more years of service) without an explaination to them or the remaining staff ? Everyone including the current staff are still in the dark. Smoke screens and Mirrors from STW it seems. Perception is reality.
User ID not verified.
” “We needed to have a new direction in this company that focuses more on what we do for a living which is how we sell our clients’ products,” said White.
When asked to clarify what this meant, White said that he had to go, and ended the interview.”
I’d say he’s pretty clearly clarified what he meant – get back to servicing the clients to the highest possible level first, and the culture will follow. Perhaps the previous team lost sight of the goal (client excellence) when they became overly concerned with the peripheral dream (staff happiness).
User ID not verified.
A trifle harsh peut-etre, Marteau?
What’s Simon being evasive about?
Surely it isn’t ethical to discuss in public the reasons why a senior executive leaves a company, unless it is a publicly owned company of course.
Perhaps the journalist could clarify if the headline is just that, or an actual quote from Simon? If it is indeed the latter, then perhaps therein lies another story.
As for the final comment, many people bring interviews to a close because they have other commitments – an interview with Adnews, AFR or The Australian perhaps? Why is the reporting of that relevant to this story, unless the journalist is trying to imply something that maybe isn’t there…..?
User ID not verified.
Justin, are you related perchance?
User ID not verified.
Were the clients really unhappy ? perhaps change the words “client excellence” to “STW profitability”. Its one thing to change the CEO – another to clean out senior execs. Why would you get rid of a talented Digital Director in this way ?
User ID not verified.
@ Unf, yeah right.
User ID not verified.
@ A harsh trifle…. Ummmm, so you think they shouldn’t have to come clean unless they are a public company . . . they ARE a public company.
User ID not verified.
@Secret Squirrel STW Communications Group is indeed a publicly listed company, but IKON isn’t’. As respected as Dan and the other executives that have left are, their departure and the reasons for their departure would not have a material impact on the holding company share price.
User ID not verified.
obviously they can’t discuss the departure for legal reasons …
And for all those baying for transparency … pause to consider … when was the last time any business discussed the reasons any senior member of staff departed (unless it was just to go to another role)
(Edited by Mumbrella for legal reasons)
User ID not verified.
Ikon has always been the best place in the industry to work, and their salaries have always been way out of line with all other agencies. You don’t need to be a genius to work out that there were some less than transparent business practices going on. Would be good for them to come clean…
User ID not verified.
@A harsh trifle So you think when one of the best performing agencies in STW has its management punted, it isn’t material? Surely an outcome will be lost clients, and as a shareholder I want to know what is going on.
User ID not verified.
@ Secret Squirrel Of course, a potential outcome of the events of recent weeks may be lost clients. Equally a potential outcome under new management may be growth in new clients, increased revenue, improved margins, and share price performance. If past performance is any indicator then James Greet’s record is something to be optimistic about for all IKON / STW stakeholders.
Besides, I’m sure that as an STW shareholder, there are appropriate avenues for asking pertinent questions of STW management as to the reasons for senior executive departures . I’m just not convinced that this forum is one of them.
User ID not verified.
@ Secret Squirrel A cursory glance at the STW Group daily share price over the past 6 months would suggest that your investment has been a very good one (depending of course on when you became a shareholder), even allowing for the blip over the past two weeks, which I’ll admit may well have been a direct (material result) of the recent shenanigans at IKON. I’d suggest, however, that the bounce back in share price since Monday’s announcement of James’s appointment may support my previous assertion that the business will be in good hands moving forwards.
User ID not verified.