Nicole Taylor (left) has departed her role as
DDB Sydney CEO to fill the CEO role at McCann Australia, following Ben
Lilley's departure. Fran Clayton (right) has also resigned from DDB to
join Taylor at McCann Australia as national CSO.
Says Charles
Cadell, president, McCann Worldgroup APAC: "I am very pleased to welcome
two of Australia's most influential industry leaders to McCann
Australia. Nic and Fran will be Sydney-based and lead our national
operations. As a team, we are committed to continuing the upward
trajectory as we enter this exciting new phase of growth under our new
leadership team."
Taylor joins McCann with over 20 years of experience across a number of
categories, both agency and client side including QSR, Automotive, FMCG
and Telco.
Taylor has always been a great advocate for the
Australian communications industry and currently holds a board position
on the Australian Communications Council. Both Taylor and Clayton have
been strong voices and great champions for diversity.
Clayton has
worked alongside Taylor for over five years, helping to win and grow
both national and global accounts for many key clients of the agency.
Says
Taylor: "DDB has been my much-loved home for over seven years and it
has been an absolute privilege to serve the talented people and
incredible clients at DDB Sydney.
"We were attracted to McCann
because of their fearless commitment to creativity. Stepping up to the
helm of McCann Australia, we are committed to building something very
special in this market and we will do everything we can to support our
people to make the best work of their careers."
Says Clayton: "As
a global network, McCann Worldgroup has real momentum and is making
some of the best work in the world. We love the single-minded commitment
to the 'Truth Well Told.'
"Our industry needs a new style of
leadership. Nic and I have always been passionate about building a
diverse creative culture and know we have the perfect partner in the
McCann network."
Adds Cadell: "Nic and Fran's reputation as game
changers precedes them - they are modern leaders who know how to empower
their teams to deliver world- class creativity that results in
outstanding business performance. With a robust operation beneath them
and an already enviable client roster, I look forward to them taking
McCann Worldgroup Australia to new heights,".
Says Andrew Little,
CEO, DDB Group Australia: "DDB Australia is full of entrepreneurial
people and, with the recent CEO movement across the industry, it's not
unexpected that our people are targeted.
"While I'm disappointed,
both Nic and Fran are stepping up into national roles and I know that
it's the opportunity to turn around the agency that appeals to them. We
tried very hard to keep them but at the end of the day they have the
opportunity to run their own show.
"I've had the pleasure of
working with and promoting both Nic and Fran over the years, they are
great mates and we wish them all the best."
"We are all
custodians of our time at DDB, and Nic and Fran can be very proud of
their legacy and contribution to the history of DDB in Australia."
Little is now in the market looking for a MD and CSO for DDB Sydney.
Says
Little: "We want to take our time finding the very best people for
these positions. These are prominent roles across amazing clients
including Westpac, McDonald's, Virgin Australia and Volkswagen Group,
amongst many other clients. The caliber of our staff and the unique DDB
culture are additional drawcards.
"These are two of the best jobs in advertising in the world, and we're expecting a lot of interest."