There are always big moves in adland. This is the weekly round-up of hires, exits and promotions in the industry.
Grey London's leadership exits suddenly
Nils Leonard, chairman and chief creative officer of Grey has left the agency alongside CEO Lucy Jameson and MD Natalie Graeme. It is understood the three are prepping to set up an independent shop on their own and the news comes just days after Leonard and Jameson told AdNews at Cannes Lions that independent agencies in London are currently being overshadowed by big networks.
The three departures is a blow for Grey London which had built a strong creative reputation thanks to the leadership from Jameson, Leonard and Graeme, transforming it over the last five years and making it one of the most awarded agencies in the UK. Read more here.
Former SCA digital lead Vijay Solanki named IAB CEO
The IAB has named former Southern Cross Austereo chief digital officer Vijay Solanki as its new CEO. The industry body has been hunting for a new lead after Alice Manners announced she was leaving the role earlier this year. The IAB's search has taken three months and body's chair, Ed Harrison, says that Solanki is the right fit. Read our interview with Solanki here.
John Gutteridge steps up to take JWT APAC CEO role
J. Walter Thompson's Australian CEO, John Gutteridge, has been named as the agency's new Asia Pacific lead as Tom Doctoroff heads back to the US. In this new role Gutteridge will continue to oversee the Australian and New Zealand businesses, however he will now be based in Singapore. Read more here.
Sports broadcasting veteran joins Dentsu's MKTG
Dentsu Aegis Network agency MKTG Sport and Entertainment has appointed TV broadcaster Mike Lewis as general manager of operations and technology.
Lewis will lead MKTG’s stadium technology and operations across leading sports and venues around the country, including innovative LED signage, broadcast platforms and other technologies. Read more here.
MediaCom recruits new digital lead from EY
MediaCom has appointed Marcus Le Clair as group director of digital to drive the business through a digital transformation process. In a separate move, Alex Kirk has been promoted to head of systems and automation to help streamline processes across the agency. Read more here.
Monkeys creative heads to Zoo
Independent creative network Zoo Group has hired The Monkey's creative director, Paul Bruce as its new ECD. Bruce has worked at The Monkey's for more than three years. Also joining the Zoo team is Will Reynolds, previously at M&C Saatchi. Reynolds now holds the position of head of client services at Zoo. In this role, Reynolds will be responsible for the agency’s growth strategy and "break from the hierarchical world" of the corporate media industry, while Bruce will be responsible for building a "young and successful" creative department.
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