Warren Baglin, widely regarded as one of the gentlemen of the advertising industry, has died after a long-running health issue. He was 65.
Many now in the senior leadership of the media agency world in Australia, mentored by Baglin when they were starting their careers, say they model themselves on him
He was highly regarded by the media sales industry and by his agency clients as an honest, straight-shooting and savvy media operator. His former colleagues say Baglin’s clients were unanimous in their praise of his contribution to their business.
Baglin joined Media Decisions, one of the first specialist media planning and buying agencies in Australia, in the late 1980s as a media group head.
He then became a media director at Zenith Media when the company was formed in the mid 1990s. Zenith was the first of the traditional full service ad agencies to hive off media into a specialist agency. Five media departments become one -- George Patterson Bates, Saatchi and Saatchi, Campaign Palace, ABKP & Friends and Media Decisions.
“He was the consummate professional,” says Daryl Paterson, former managing director of Media Decisions and, later, CEO of Zenith Media.
“Enormously well liked (some would say even loved), and respected, by those who worked with him.
“To many, he was more than a boss, he was a loyal friend and wise mentor. Warren gave generously of his time and knowledge, to the benefit of his ‘team’, many of whom have become leading lights in the media industry today.
“Warren was a true gentleman. Not only was he my work colleague, but a true friend … his gentleness, generosity, kindness, loyalty and integrity are qualities we see all too infrequently today … he will be sadly missed.”
Peter Horgan, now CEO, Omnicom Media Group, ANZ, who worked at Media Decisions in the 1990s: “Waz was a warm and inspirational leader, loved by clients and colleagues alike, a true gent of the industry.”
Jeremy Simpson, now group general manager - national sales and marketing at Grant Broadcasters, worked with Baglin for almost ten years over two stints.
The first was 1988-1994 when they were both group account directors at Media Decisions. The second was when Simpson returned to what was then Zenith Media (before it became Mediacom) from 1998 to 2001.
Their relationship went well beyond advertising.
“I won two cricket premierships playing with Warren and his brothers Graham, Owen and Craig,” says Simpson. “Waz was the Captain of course!
“We have been friends for over 30 years and he never missed our regular Media Decision old boys lunches.
“Warren's greatest strength in business was his generosity of spirit.
“He would always take the time to help you out with a problem that wasn't his. He willingly gave guidance advice to anyone who just wanted to bounce ideas around and most importantly he was a father figure to many who just wanted some calm and thoughtful advice.”
He was a great judge of character but was never judgmental.
“His impact on a whole generation of future media talent was profound as he was the mentor to many including Henry Tajer, Sue Squillace, Anneliese Douglas and Paul Payne,” says Simpson.
“Warren was respected not only by all of his clients but also by all the media owners. He was of a generation where he delivered the best result for his client while making sure the Media also made a buck, it was always win/win.
“He will be missed by many and remembered by all of us.”
Sue Squillace, now CEO of Carat, ANZ, was a 19-year-old on her first media job when she met Baglin.
“Warren epitomised what it is to be a people first leader, his genuine passion for media, his people and his clients developed a culture that became an incubator for developing talent to their fullest potential,” she says.
“I was one of those people and he became a good friend and mentor during those years and afterwards. His style both in business and personally was one of the same and I have modelled my own on his.”
One of her favourite moments and life lessons from Baglin was when she aspired to move into his team as a planner.
“At 20 years old I was too scared to put my hand up and worried he might think I could not do the job,” she says. “I assumed if
I was not offered the role that I was not good enough.”
One of her peers convinced her to put herself forward.
“With much nervousness I did,” she says.
Baglin told her: “We have been waiting for you to come in. In your career, speak up if you want something and go for it. That is how you will become successful.”
She found out later that Baglin was the one who put a colleague up to convince her to put herself forward.
“That pretty much sums up Warren’s nature,” she says. “He was a truly inspirational leader and person, he was selfless and he underestimated his impact on many of our lives and careers.
“My thoughts are with his family for their loss and we look forward to being able to celebrate his life in the near future.”
Henry Tajer, most recently CEO at Dentsu Aegis Network, worked directly for Warren for four years at Media Decisions in Sydney from 1994.
“A humble guy with a great sense of humour who was always happy to make time for you,” says Tajer.
“He didn't get caught up in things that didn't matter which made clients love him.
“He was my boss, a mentor, a mate and someone I was lucky enough to get sound advice from. Whether that was profession or person, Warren always had my best interests at heart. He was like that for all the people who he worked with.
“Warren was a very personable character which made it really easy for the team, clients and media partners to work with.
“He will be missed by many.”
Peter Cornelius, now managing director - Australia/NZ of Ebiquity, worked with Baglin when Zenith Media was formed in early 1997.
“Everyone loved him,” says Cornelius.
“People wanted to work with him ... he always went into bat for them and he was a fantastic mentor, the most loyal person you’d ever meet.
“Clients loved him for he knew how to look after them and always delivered what he said he would do and all the media sales people respected him because he always upfront and told it how it was and delivered on his word.
“When the original Zenith imploded we all went our separate ways, many onwards and upwards, others took different paths.
“A few special people continued to catch-up at least once a year. Wazza always came, for the group were mates and like family.
“Over the years Warren had to battle more than many of us. He lived with a serious health condition but he never wavered.
“As honest as the day is long, he was one of the industry’s true good guys. He loved his sport and put in a great innings, but he’s a loss and the world is poorer place as a result.”
Paul Carroll, now national sales manager at AdNews, was a rep for News Ltd and later TIME magazine when became good friends with Baglin.
"He would go to bat for the media with clients because he knew that to get the best out of anything, for anything good to last, took good care, maintenance and awareness," says Carroll.
"He knew how to listen and you knew you were heard. So clients got great media treatment, reps got fair credit and everything went well around Warren. That was never a coincidence. Warren made sure. Warren was sure, assured, in a way not common now, in these anxious, disrupted days.
"He was a personal brand, not by design or artiface, but by always being himself. A self people liked easily and trusted implicitly. Not on occasion or for some, but always with anybody.
"I was truly and deeply saddened to hear this news ... Warren had overcome illness in his time.
"So much of who he was is endless. In any career, as in life, one can only hope to be lucky and know someone like Warren.
"A top bloke."
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