M&C Saatchi Australia chairman Tom Dery announces retirement
Chairman of M&C Saatchi Australia, Tom Dery, has announced his retirement.
The announcement comes two years after Dery stood down as worldwide chairman, a role he held from 2008. He has been the chairman of M&C Saatchi Australia since 2016.
Tom Dery has announced his retirement, stepping down as chairman of M&C Saatchi Australia
Dery was one of the founding members of the M&C Saatchi Australian operation in 1995. Eventually he went on to establish offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Dehli, New Zealand and Los Angeles.
Dery’s retirement will commence on the 30th of June.
Dery said his confidence in the current management team led by CEO Jaimes Legget, made this the right time to leave.
“My focus in recent years has been to assist in and guide succession in the Australian operation. This is the ideal time for me to retire given the terrific management team in place under the leadership of Jaimes Leggett and the consistent growth the agency continues to enjoy,” Dery said.
Leggett thanked Dery for his leadership on behalf of the M&C Saatchi team.
“Tom is a legend. Twenty-four years ago, he had the guts to join this fledgling start-up and the imagination to keep it growing. He established the foundations of M&C Saatchi Australia so that it could become the formidable force it is today. On behalf of the team, I thank him for his support, guidance and mentorship over the years. We’re excited by the next stage of our journey as we continue to stand on the shoulders of giants,” Leggett said.
Bill Muirhead, founding partner of the M&C Saatchi Worldwide Group, said in a statement: “Tom Dery is inextricably linked with the phenomenal history of M&C Saatchi, especially in Australia. It was never our intention merely to found a boutique in London. Australia was the first and most important overseas office. We will continue to see Tom as our great figurehead in Australia.”
Definitely a great and historic contributor to Australian and international ‘advertising’ as the industry used to be known. If I remember correctly, he headed up marketing at Ansett Airlines before moving into the agency world. As then Qantas account director at MDA Sydney, I recall Tom as a welcome occasional visitor to our office, well prior to his leadership at M&C.
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