Simon Wassef Named CSO, Glen Dickson Deputy CCO as Clemenger BBDO Merger Takes Effect
Clemenger BBDO CEO Lee Leggett has announced key leadership appointments, coinciding with the agency's merger with CHEP Network and Traffik taking effect today.
Former Clemenger BBDO chief strategy and experience officer, Simon Wassef, will keep his title at the new-look agency. CHEP's Glen Dickson will also retain his title as deputy chief creative officer. However, CHEP chief creative officer Gavin McLeod and chief strategy officer Lilian Sor are exiting the business.
The agency is continuing its global search for a national chief creative officer following the departure of Gavin and former Clems CCO Adrián Flores.
“I can’t thank Gav and Lil enough for their contribution to CHEP over the last few years," Lee said.
"They have pushed CHEP forward and been great friends along the way. We will miss them, and I look forward to seeing what they do next."
Last week, LBB revealed Clemenger's first win as the new entity: Kmart. Lee said while today marks the beginning of the new Clemenger, she has already felt energy in the building.
“What excites me most is the spirit I’m seeing already. There’s energy. There’s belief. And there’s a genuine desire to build something together that’s not just bigger, but better. Today is day one and I can’t wait for what’s next," she said.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve spent time across all three businesses and with our clients, and what stands out is the strength of the people. We have brilliant talent in every corner of the company, and now we have the platform to bring it all together. We’re not just expanding our capabilities – we’re expanding our potential.
"With brand, creative, media, data, technology and experience all working as one, we have the tools and talent to deliver truly modern creativity for the most ambitious brands in the country.”
BBDO global CEO Nancy Reyes revealed the merger in February in an exclusive interview with LBB. The restructure is the first step to restoring Clemenger’s glory in Australia and combating a culture of transactional creativity, she said in her only interview while visiting Australia with BBDO CCO Chris Beresford Hill. The duo were on a global roadshow to unveil the agency's new positioning, 'Do Big Things'.
“We've got this magic, but it's not operating to its fullest potential,” she said.
“If we want to care about a client's business, we've got to get our own house in order so that we are capable of saying, 'Okay, this feels like this kind of a problem. I need these kinds of expert thinkers, and they're right here.' We don't put more obstacles in our people's way to access the talent and the expertise that already is inside.
“We've got to get back to a place where we put our arms around this business. We're not insecure about the business that we're in, we're proud of it ... Try as we might, it's very hard to operate when they're separate and distinct.”
She noted the restructure was not motivated by efficiency, and that “it really isn’t about a balance sheet.” She wants CHEP’s creative, media, technology, and data capabilities, and Traffik’s activation arm, embedded into a business of Clemenger’s heritage.
As part of the merger, former Clemenger CEO Dani Bassil and chief growth officer Anita Zanesco have departed, in addition to Adrián, Gavin, and Lilian.
Clemenger's client roster includes Samsung, Asahi, Mars, Michael Hill, 7-Eleven, and Kmart. Last month, Nancy acknowledged resolving conflicts between CHEP and Clemenger, such as Mazda (CHEP) and BMW (Clemenger), is a “fair challenge ahead of us, but not one that we're not keen to figure out alongside our clients.”
