IPG Mediabrands APAC CFO and Henry Tajer ‘right-hand man’ Reg Davidson to leave company
IPG Mediabrands chief financial officer for Asia Pacific is leaving the company just two months after the high-profile exit of global chief executive Henry Tajer.
Reg Davidson, who was credited by multiple sources as being Tajer’s “right-hand man” during his successful leadership of Mediabrands Australia, is to leave the Singapore-based role over “next few months” after holding it for just one year.
Davidson’s unannounced departure follows that of John Sintras, who was was amongst a handful of Australian media agency executives who were hand-picked by Tajer when he was named as global CEO in 2015.
When contacted by Mumbrella, IPG Medibrands confirmed Davidson’s departure, saying: “It is Reg Davidson’s intent that he and his wife move back to Australia, so he will be transitioning out of his current role in the next few months.” The company also used the word “transitioning” when confirming Sintras’ departure last month and when they announced Tajer’s departure.
Davidson first joined Mediabrands Australia as CFO in 2003 and held the role until July 2016. It was during this period that Tajer rose to become CEO of Mediabrands Australia, where he invested in high-margin businesses and consolidated underperforming divisions.
When Tajer was promoted to global CEO in 2015, he hired a number of senior Australian executives – widely dubbed “the Australian entourage” – including Sintras as business development and product innovation director, Mat Baxter, now global CEO of Initiative and former UM CEO in Australia, Dianne Richardson, former managing partner of Starcom Mediavest Group Australia. In addition, he recruited Mnet’s Travis Johnson, Cadreon’s Marc Lomas and media auditor Charles Godbold.
Although Davidson was not part of this initial wave of hiring, he was promoted to CFO of the APAC region just over a year after Tajer’s global ascension and relocated from Australia to Singapore.
Prior to Davidson’s move, IPG Mediabrands’ Asia boss Prashant Kumar announced his intention to leave the company. His role was taken over by former OMD Australia’s Leigh Terry, who was named CEO for APAC in June last year.
Mumbrella Asia has contacted Terry for comment, but understands he is currently in New York along with a number of other senior execs.
Hearts & Science dream team incoming?
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(Edited under MUmbrella’s comment moderation policy)
Good luck to Leigh Terry, a true gentleman and mastermind within the media industry here in Australia.
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What is happening to IPG? Crumbling under restructure?
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As the game of chess goes on, another chess piece falls. Is it check mate yet ? (No pun on ‘mate’)
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So who will IPG cut / “transition” next to de-Australian the US and overseas operations under the new regime?
Most are gone but a few remain.
Doesn’t look like the company that touts diversity and inclusion is practicing what it preaches…
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It’s really weird how the Mediabrands Aus team have gone from taking over the world, to suddenly not there anymore. Feels like there is a lot more to this story…
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IPG is perhaps doing damage control for all that has been done by the previous team. More to ‘transition’ !
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was Davidson walked ?
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Sounds to me like a clean-out. I don’t think there is any co-incidence that when a high level executive exits people around him do.
Maybe it’s called abolishing boys clubs. Just because you hire people you like doesn’t mean they are effective.
Feels similar to Mi9 a couple years back with the bromance of Britt and Barnett
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Once your cover is blown, you’ve got to go.
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Good luck in whatever you do next Reg!
Australia will be a better placing having you back!!
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There’s a book in this
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Reg is a good guy. Taught me a lot when I had the opportunity to work with him. Interested to see what happens next and agree, there is a book in this!
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Makes you wonder whether the band are going to get back together somewhere else
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What a redundant question
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