M&C Saatchi chief strategist to depart this week
M&C Saatchi Australia’s chief strategy officer is stepping away from the agency after three and a half years.
Emily Taylor joined M&C Saatchi in 2020 after a short stint at Colenso BBDO, where her time at the Auckland-based agency was cut short due to Covid shutdowns.
Prior to Colenso BBDO, Taylor worked at Publicis Groupe’s creative agency Leo Burnett for four years, spending her final year there as chief strategist.
Taylor told Mumbrella: “It’s been an amazing 3.5 years at M&C Saatchi Group, an absolute blast. A gig has allowed me to work with some of the best in the business; in our brilliantly diverse team of original thinkers, our ambitious and iconic clients, and as part of a world-class exec team.
“With whom I’ve helped to set the direction for a more collaborative, integrated M&C Saatchi Group,” she continued. “I look forward to watching all the success of M&C in 2024, cheering on from the sidelines.”
Justin Graham, group CEO of M&C Saatchi, thanked Taylor for her time at the agency, and said she remains a friend of the team.
“I want to thank Em for her passion, her smarts, her leadership and most importantly her partnership over the last few years,” he told Mumbrella.
“Em has nurtured a team of seriously talented strategists as well as building our strategic capability across the entire business.
“Tay-tay (the other one) will always be a great friend of M&C and I look forward to supporting her in the next chapter,” he added.
Taylor told Mumbrella it’s hard stepping away from working with “such a brilliant group” of team members, speaking highly of the her M&C Saatchi peers.
“But it is time for a little ‘Em time’,” she explained. “So I’ll take a little break – with one girls trip and one health retreat included – before I work out what I do next.”
Her departure comes shortly after long time chief creative officer Cam Blackley also M&C Saatchi.
In October last year, he said his time at the agency had been “incredibly fulfilling” but globally, the agency was going “through a period of transition and that has accelerated the decision to part company”.
The transition meant global restructures, with staff lay offs across the UK and Asia-Pacific regions, including less than 10 redundancies in Australia.
In November, M&C Saatchi announced Blackley’s replacement in Steve Coll. He joined from Facebook Creative Shop.
Taylor’s last day will be this Thursday, February 22.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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