Smart's management team is tipped to take the reins of the combined Smart/McCann offering with the announcement of the sale imminent.
Sources close to the deal have told AdNews the sale of Smart to Interpublic's McCann was contingent upon Smart's management team taking over the operations.
The sale was expected to be officially announced two days ago but has been delayed to the end of this week at the earliest.
McCann Worldgroup chief executive Chris Mort did not return calls at the time of publication. McCann Melbourne managing director James Graham is on leave. McCann's regional headquarters in Tokyo has not returned calls at the time of publication.
Partners in the Smart business are chief executive Ben Lilley, executive creative director John Mescall and managing partner Ashley Farr. Melbourne managing director Simon Burrett is also part of the management team. Lilley and Mescall declined to comment.
Smart has won Tiger Airways, Mount Franklin, Twinings and a carbon tax campaign from the Government in the past six months. Other clients include Brown Brothers, Specsavers, Open Universities, Forty Winks, Australand and other Federal Government and Coca-Cola brands.
McCann clients include MasterCard, Kimberly-Clark, Holden and L'Oreal.
Interpublic is also in the midst of final sale talks to acquire independent agency 303 Group through Lowe. It has been speculated 303 Group chief executive Nick Cleaver is expected to lead a combined 303/Lowe operation.
Smart has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Auckland.
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