Nick Garrett exits as Clemenger BBDO CEO, as Gayle While and Pete Bosilkovski take lead roles
The CEO of Clemenger BBDO Sydney and Melbourne, Nick Garrett, is leaving the agency.
To replace him, deputy CEO of Clemenger Melbourne Gayle While will become CEO of Clemenger Melbourne, while former VMLY&R co-CEO Pete Bosilkovski will join Clemenger Sydney as CEO.
Garrett has been one of the creative industry’s most lauded leaders, including taking home Industry Leader of the Year at last year’s Mumbrella Awards.
Clemenger BBDO CEO, Nick Garrett, is leaving the agency
He joined Clemenger BBDO Melbourne as CEO in August 2015 after helping Colenso BBDO become recognised as one of the world’s great agencies.
After helping modernise Clems Melbourne’s structure, Garrett then added the struggling Sydney operation to his remit in 2017, with executive chairman of the Clemenger Group Robert Morgan saying at the time that Garrett was both loved by clients and a magnet for talent.
“Nick has demonstrated great leadership in his time at both Colenso BBDO Auckland and Clemenger BBDO Melbourne,” Morgan said.
“He gets the needs of the new age of advertising, he’s a hunter, is loved by his clients and is a magnet for talent. He is a passionate believer in the importance of creativity as our key differentiation. He also makes the complex clear in respect of being a successful marketer in the digital age.”
Clemenger BBDO’s clients include Carlton and United Breweries and Myer.
In April of this year, CEO of sister agency CHE Proximity, Chris Howatson, was promoted to oversee all Clemenger agencies, including Clemenger BBDO, CHE Proximity and Marketforce.
At the time of the promotion, Clemenger made it clear all bosses of the affected agencies, including Garrett, would keep their roles.
The aim of Howatson’s elevation was for him to lead a transformation that will see all of the Clems agencies widen what they can offer clients beyond traditional agency services.
The announcement:
Gayle While will step up from her current role as Deputy CEO to become CEO of Clemenger BBDO Melbourne while top agency leader, Peter Bosilkovski will join Clemenger BBDO Sydney as CEO.Gayle will be part of the Melbourne management team of Executive Chairman James McGrath, Deputy CEO Simon Lamplough and Stephen de Wolf as Chief Creative Officer. Peter’s Sydney management team will include Managing Director, Emily Perrett, Chief Strategy Officer, Lilian Sor and Chief Creative Officer, Ben Coulson.
Clemenger BBDO Melbourne CEO Nick Garrett is leaving the Agency to pursue other interests.
Clemenger Group Executive Chairman, Robert Morgan said: “We are excited to have Gayle take the role in Melbourne where she has been doing such a brilliant job for the last 3 years. And it’s also fantastic to have Peter come on board in Sydney. He’s someone we’ve wanted to have join us for some time and it’s great he’s now doing so in Sydney.
At the same time, I’d like to thank Nick Garrett for his contribution to our Agencies in both New Zealand and Australia over nearly 10 years. We wish him well in the next phase of his career. Nick will be making an announcement about his next move shortly.”
On his decision to leave, Nick Garrett said: “I have been sprinting for 22 years and it’s a moment for rest and recharge. I have made life-long friends while working across Colenso and Clemenger BBDO and I am deeply proud of the work we have made together. There is awesome work in the pipeline and superb people to drive it and the business forward. I know they will be brilliant.”
In conclusion, Robert Morgan said: “With James McGrath, Gayle While, Simon Lamplough, and Stephen de Wolf in Melbourne and Peter Bosilkovski, Emily Perrett, Lilian Sor and Ben Coulson in Sydney, along with the CHE Proximity team, we have the best Agency leadership in Australia. We are very fortunate to have the depth and breadth of expertise in our leadership teams in Melbourne and Sydney and across our Agency brands. Under the outstanding leadership of Chris Howatson, they are transforming our capabilities to be at the forefront of change and to reflect the needs of our clients in this new era of advertising.”
[Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
I feel sorry for Clemms staff and clients
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Congratulations Pete! An exciting new chapter and one that I’m sure will reap many rewards.
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Nick is an absolute legend. A true creative champion, straight up, all about the work, agenda free. What a huge loss for BBDO. I can’t wait to see what he does next. He’d have an army of people following him.
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Well done Pete, got pushed off a sinking ship at Y&R, I hear its just Jon Bird now and his hire car from “No Birds” (someone please promote the admin that did that!).
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If you call 2 people an army, then sure.
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Wonder if [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
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Congrats Nick on a great innings at Clems. Aside from being one of the industry’s most high-profile and successful leaders, you’re one of the good guys.
I look forward to hearing about what is in store next.
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Nice one Bos. No doubt you will have huge success .
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congratulations Gayle, congratulations Pete,
Personally, I’m happy for Nick to take a break – he’s been working flat out for more than two decades. Professionally, it’s sad for or business to lose him…even temporarily. World class work and significant commercial success follow him.
He helped BMF become Agency of the last decade and in the past 9 years in his time at BBDO he led first Colenso and then Clems Melbourne to the #1 global ranking on the Gunn Report. That does not happen by accident.
He deserves any break he allows himself to take,but fingers crossed he stays in our industry and returns to a leadership role very soon.
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Maybe the VMLYR leadership team can join you, I hear all 8 of them are looking.
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Nick is by far the best person I have had the pleasure to work for in his industry. He’s a genius and a true leader and Clemenger probably underestimate how much the agency has been hold together by little more than his sheer force of will over the last 2 years. All the best Nick, you’re a legend.
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I had the pleasure of working for Nick across both Auckland and Melbourne and he’s one of a kind, the most inspiring leader I have worked for. Any agency, by default, gets worse the day after he leaves.
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If you want a sobering view of the state of the big networks in Australia at the moment, you won’t find a better one than today’s Mumbrella newsletter and this comment trail.
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Congrats Bos! Well done mate.
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It’s quite disappointing that people need to lower themselves to such horrible (faceless) insults. The agencies that you take these coward punch swipes at are people’s places of work, where they build and form relationships and forge careers in. Clients that have selected them are entrusting their jobs and sometimes careers with. We’re talking about human beings here, not just agency X or Y.
It’s also so wonderful to see people be celebrated by their peers/clients/teams for their exceptional talent and achievements. This article is talking about some of the best in the business. Bravo!
People will come and go from jobs (agencies in this instance) – it is going to happen. Celebrate them, wish them well and move on.
Rant over.
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Geez Danny, grow a pair – its the Mumbrella comment section.
Refer to John Steadman’s rant and the associated thread for all the info you need!
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This echo’s Steady’s point.
Really? “grow a pair” – I thought that’s exactly what he just did by putting his name next to his POV.
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I meant harden up and get over some fairly inoffensive (anonymous) barbs. Harder mud has certainly been slung on this website.
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Fair enough, there’s definitely been worse said.
My frustration is probably more related to the behaviour overall vs this specific article’s comments.
From my perspective, can be competitive, tenacious, and even fierce, but it doesn’t need to come at the expense of simply being kind to one another.
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Nick has played one of the classiest knocks seen in the history of advertising in Australia. He deserves a rest in the sheds. Competitors beware of the next innings….
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He’s a good guy I’m sure but in reality Clems have been pretty stagnant for some time. A lot of the great work was done some time ago and Howatson is now at the wheel. We know what’s going on here. Good luck Nick on the next chapter.
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Congratulations, Nick on a stellar career to-date and contribution at BBDO. No doubt your next project will be just as rewarding.
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