Ant Keogh, Paul McMillan, and Michael Derepas Leave The Monkeys Melb to Launch Agency

The Monkeys Melbourne’s top brass - CEO Paul McMillan, chief creative officer Ant Keogh, and chief strategy officer Michael Derepas - are leaving the Accenture Song agency after seven years to launch their own shop. 

The execs told staff of their departure last week, LBB can reveal. It’s not the first time the trio has coordinated a collective big move. In 2017, they left Clemenger BBDO Melbourne - where they were MD, CCO, and planning director, respectively - to head up The Monkeys in Melbourne. 

Their departure comes at a key time for The Monkeys and the wider Accenture business: Bronwyn van der Merwe and Matt Michael have just taken the reins from Mark Green, who relocated to New York to head up Droga5 globally. Matt, as the newly-minted local CEO of Droga5, is transitioning The Monkeys to the Droga5 brand between now and December, when the rebadging officially takes effect. And another high profile trio - Melissa Fein, Sam Geer, and Chris Colter - have been in the building for a couple of months, after Accenture poached them from Initiative to set up a media unit, which will formally launch in a matter of weeks. 

The Monkeys confirmed the three departures to LBB. A spokesperson said, “We can confirm that Ant Keogh, Paul McMillan and Michael Derepas are departing The Monkeys, and we wish them all the best for their future endeavours.”

This past week, newly-appointed Droga5 AUNZ CEO Matt Michael told LBB that the relaunch of the Droga5 brand in this market (after an initial run from 2008 to 2015, before Accenture bought The Monkeys and Droga and brought them into the same stable) will “stand on the shoulders” of The Monkeys’ 18-year legacy. Mark Green, Justin Drape, and Scott Nowell founded the agency in 2006; Matt joined in 2011. 

“It's not a huge gear change to come underneath the Droga5 banner. It feels pretty seamless. And to some extent, we're already starting to talk as part of this global network, bringing the best of the global positioning and knowledge to bear for our local clients,” he said in the interview with LBB. 

“That's especially true with Mark at the helm. I think he will take a lot of what he's set up over the last 18 years with The Monkeys to Droga globally, and that reverse takeover type mentality we've had for the last seven years with Accenture extends to Droga as well. The two will meet quite harmoniously in the middle.

“We are bringing in some of the Droga thinking, some of the Droga process, some of the Droga approach. They're doing the same for The Monkeys globally.”

Matt added the transition is smoothed by familiar leadership; “anyone that's worked with The Monkeys has had a lot to do with me for the last 15 or so years.”

Ant, Paul, and Michael were approached for comment. All three spent over a decade at Clems before shifting to The Monkeys, during which it was the most successful agency in the country. Michael joined Clems in 2005, Paul in 2006, and Ant in 2007. Ant and Paul also had pre-Clems stints at George Patterson Y&R.

In going out on their own, they'll join a robust indie market led by former leaders at big agencies, including Supermassive, Today the Brave, Reunion, Howatson+Co, It's Friday, Bureau of Everything, Rick Barry, Ministry for Communications and the Arts, Pembleton, and jnr.