Jens Monsees’ departure as CEO of WPP AUNZ will have a kick-on effect on the prospects of other executives and the structure of the local Australian business.
The winners of WPP’s takeover of Australian operations are the current heads of agencies. Leadership of the advertising group and its 3,800 staff in Australia has firmly devolved to those who run individual brands.
Looking at other parts of the world, WPP country managers have more of a support role than overall responsibility for the business. More a local spokesman and a provider of central services rather than a business driver.
That’s one of the reasons Jens Monsees left as CEO after less than two years, insiders say. As a country manager he wouldn’t have had the same control as he had when WPP AUNZ was a locally ASX-listed company.
Now 100% a part of UK-based WPP plc, the world's biggest advertising group, the individual agencies in Australia will be making the running, strengthening their ties with their same brands across the world.
Global CEO Mark Read, in a post takeover email to Australian staff, placed the UK-based company in the centre with a country manager in a supporting role to local agencies.
“You may be aware that in other parts of the world we have country and regional managers who play an important leadership role for WPP, working closely with agency leaders to support them, manage central functions, promote WPP’s collective capabilities and coordinate resources on behalf of clients,” he wrote.
“We will appoint someone to this role for Australia and New Zealand.”
Until that appointment, says Read, the business will be led by the agency brand leaders supported by WPP AUNZ CFO Chris Rollinson and overseen by an executive committee chaired by global chief operating officer Andrew Scott.
“One of the opportunities of moving fully within the WPP network is to benefit from our global footprint, shared resources and common client and partner relationships,” says Read.
“Looking ahead, the agency brands will naturally have closer connections with the rest of their global networks, and with WPP as a whole. This will make it easier for us to invest in the future of the business, and you’ll receive a very warm welcome from everyone.
“At the same time, the agencies will retain the ties they have with one another and the central team in Australia and New Zealand to ensure we’re making the most of our scale in the market and collaborating on assignments when clients want us to.”
Monsees made a number of changes to the senior executive group when he was CEO, including recently with a new chief people officer, Lisa Sheehan, replacing Elissa Good-Omozusi.
Another is Toby Hemming who was appointed in September last year as head of communications and marketing, Australia and New Zealand, replacing two long-term specialists, Rebecca Tilly and Sandra Renowden,
Hemming was a Monsees pick and worked closely with him on internal and external communications and marketing programs across WPP AUNZ.
Hemming brought with him more than two decades of strategic communications leadership to the role.
Most recently founder and managing director of APAC communications consultancy Bold, Hemming has also held roles as head of communications at News Digital Media in Sydney and at BSkyB in London.
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