Seven execs leave WPP AUNZ including group client director Kate Walker and Wunderman Thompson MD Paul Everson
A host of executives have departed WPP agencies VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.
The departures include WPP AUNZ group client director Kate Walker and Paul Everson, managing director of Wunderman Thompson.
WPP AUNZ group client director Kate Walker has left the business
A WPP spokesperson confirmed Walker’s and Everson’s departures to Mumbrella: “WPP AUNZ group client director Kate Walker resigned in early July, after more than two-and-a-half years in the position, and a long history with WPP AUNZ. She has decided to travel and establish her next career move. We wish her well in any future endeavour.
“Paul Everson former managing director of J. Walter Thompson Sydney left following the merger of Wunderman and J Walter Thompson.”
WPP AUNZ has also confirmed the departure of Wunderman Thompson MD Paul Everson
Recently, Mumbrella reported that Carmel Williamson, former MD of WPP’s bespoke agency for Vodafone, Team Red, had filed a lawsuit against the holding company, citing harassment and unlawful dismissal. Both Everson and Walker have been named in the case, however, Mumbrella understands it is unrelated to the exits of both execs.
Additionally, head of strategy Carly Yanco departed the business in May after almost four-and-a-half years, starting out at J. Walter Thompson as a senior strategic planner. Yanco is now the head of brand at ING.
Creative agencies J Walter Thompson and Wunderman announced their impending merger last year. The merger, creating Wunderman Thompson, came into effect on 1 April this year.
In September last year WPP, announced it would be merging creative agency Y&R with digital agency VML to create VMLY&R. The merger resulted in the CEOs of VML and Y&R, Aden Hepburn and Pete Bosilkovski, respectively, coming together to run the new agency as co-CEOs.
In May, Bosilkovski left the business and was soon followed in June by Hepburn announcing his departure. As a result WPP named Jon Bird as VMLY&R CEO.
Since the departure of Hepburn and Bosilkovski four other VMLY&R execs have left the agency. Regional operations director Jeremy de Villiers left this month after just over a year with the business, becoming COO of marketing agency, Imperfect Circle.
Dave Di Veroli, who was promoted to head of strategy and innovation, has also departed. Di Veroli spent over six years with the business, starting out as senior digital strategist with VML and later moving up to strategy director.
VMLY&R has also felt the departure of Jeremy de Villiers, Dave Di Veroli, Tim Fletcher and Katie Dally
Head of platforms and experiences Tim Fletcher has also left the business. Fletcher started out at VML over six years ago as senior digital project manager, and later was promoted to head of strategy. Fletcher was also promoted to his last role in January.
And Katie Dally has also departed VMLY&R. Dally joined Y&R in August last year as general manager, and was promoted to managing partner of the merged agency in January.
The WPP spokesperson also told Mumbrella: “VMLY&R has also had a measured exit of a few people as it looks to further consolidate the agency post-merger and resource a fast-growing national offering. A clear plan has been developed with further details to come. As part of this process, and with Aden Hepburn leaving, a small number of staff have now opted to leave the organisation for other roles or to pursue other interests.
“As a result, VMLY&R is currently in the process of promoting from within, and hiring a range of new roles in line with Jon Bird’s vision of where he is taking the business, with announcements to be made soon. In the meantime, out of respect for those staff who have opted to leave, we have no further comment to make.”
Prior to Hepburn and Bosilkovski departing the agency, VMLY&R appointed Paul Nagy as chief creative officer.
In March, Brisbane ECD, Brendan Greaney, exited to launch his consultancy Exactly Different. The following month, ECD Bart Pawlak also departed to become an independent creative consultant.
topics
Aden Hepburn
Carly Yanco
Dave Di Veroli
Jeremy De Villiers
Kate Walker
Katie Dally
Paul Everson
Pete Bosilkovski
Tim Fletcher
VMLY&R
WPP AUNZ
Wunderman Thompson
sinking ship.
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“measured exit”
Orwell would be proud.
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Half year results out Friday. Interested to hear what Jens has waiting for him come October 1.
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So seven relatively senior people across two seperate creative agency entities (four i guess if you don’t want to count the mergers) left over the course of a couple of months, isn’t that relatively normal to the this industry?
How many senior people left CHE last month. Add that to clemenger across melb, syd and brissy and you would get a pretty big number wouldn’t you?
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WPP AUNZ is having another incredible year of growth and prosperity lead by the very best diverse and talented group of professionals any client could hope to have.
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“This is fine”
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So after these “measured exits” and “natural attrition” who is actually left running these mash-ups? Jon Bird returns from his triumph in America where he made LabStore a household name and John Gutteridge who returns from conquering Asia with JWT? Way to fail upwards.
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this is nothing compared to New Zealand – Ogilvy sold, Assignment gone, JWT gone, VMLY&RNZ the only creative agency left
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Some of these departures were the result of rampant cronyism in one of the agencies.
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yep, I’m with you. Not a great look but also not at all unpredictable – two mergers of 4 struggling agencies and new leaders coming in….of course there’s going to be turnover be it redundancies and resignations.
also probably not a bad idea. there’s a lot of tired and cynical people in those places and the opportunity to regenerate the talent pool would be welcomed by the new leaders
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New leaders? One has been with the same network their entire career.
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They are now struggling agencies because of how WPPAUNZ has treated and managed them since the merger. And the people are tired and cynical because of the above. Finding any sort of talent interested in joining now will be a challenge. Let alone a “talent pool”.
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In her lawsuit Ms Williamson described it as an old boys network. The old boys at wpp aunz have appointed two old boys to run these two failing agencies. Anyone young or smart has left.
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leaving a place with no idea. Thats a good thing.
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Very sad to see such great talent leave the group!
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If the best WPP can offer up is a nameless ‘no further comment’ response to a major restructure, they can only blame themselves for the narrative that currently surrounds them.
Was that missive to the industry on anonymous comments really about muting criticism of WPP agencies? They seem to be a constant source of negative headlines — long before the anonymous commenters pile in.
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These people are just all spending more time with family/travelling/pursuring new interests and we wish them all the best with their future endeavours as they leave to pursue other families and spend more time with their endeavours.
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The way this article is written, it could be construed that I left Y&R as a result of Paul Nagy joining as CCO. Just to clarify, Paul was one of the major arguments that almost convinced me to stay at the agency. As a creative leader, I’d happily follow Paul anywhere. Although my preference would be to follow him into the public bar at the Plough Inn. Or perhaps the Lord Nelson. Preferably with a company Amex.
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I believe that Paul [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]. Not just you Brendan. Even if you do like a good Plough Inn.
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..that several of the individuals dismissed are embroiled in the Vodafone/Team Red unfair dismissal case?
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Aden’s people are leaving in their droves it seems. Loyalty
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