SYDNEY: Mat Baxter, the chief strategy officer at MediaCom, has been appointed chief executive of Universal McCann in a surprise move.
The move will see UM chief executive Henry Tajer become executive chairman of Mediabrands. Baxter, a former founding partner at Naked Communications, will start on 1 December.
“I'm enormously excited about joining UM,” said Baxter. “UM was one of the few agencies I genuinely feared competing with in my previous roles. They've got a hugely impressive track record and an even more impressive client list. They're undoubtedly Australia's most creative communications agency. I'm absolutely thrilled to be their new CEO.”
Baxter’s arrival at UM will be the second time he and Tajer have worked together – the pair met at Zenith Media eight years ago.
Baxter, said: “UM is an agency with great momentum. It has amazingly strong client relationships and is renowned as one of the best collaborators with media owners. I hope to build on that success even more and carve out a position for us at the very top of the media agency table."
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