Skip to main content

U.S. Ad Agencies Search for Worldly Talent

Adweek reports that in the business of advertising, 'find the leader' requires a map and compass. Andrew Robertson, David Jones, Stephen Gatfield -- these and many others have crossed oceans to run major U.S. agency networks as the industry continues to reach beyond the border for its most senior positions.

Observers credit the trend not only to the well-documented shallow pool of U.S.-bred management talent, but to an increasing demand for executives with global experience and the ability to work across disciplines.

The most recent example of a foreign exec heading to the U.S. is Chris Jaques, a Briton who was CEO of Y&R Asia for the past three years and who starts Friday as CEO of Y&R North America. He succeeds Gordon McLean, a Canadian, who took the new post of global managing partner at the agency.

Jaques was appointed by Hammish McLennan, an Australian who was CEO of Y&R in his native country and New Zealand until June, when he accepted the worldwide CEO job, succeeding U.S.-born Ann Fudge.

Additionally, Publicis Groupe's Fallon is said to be focusing on internal candidates in the agency's search for chairman Pat Fallon's successor, and chief among the names being floated are Britons Robert Senior, who is managing partner of Fallon London and Fallon International president Michael Wall.

Of the "old guard," Robertson, a Zimbabewan who spent most of his career in the U.K., is now worldwide CEO at BBDO; Jones, a Briton who worked in the U.K. and France and ran Euro RSCG's Australia region before joining Euro RSCG as New York CEO, is now worldwide CEO of the network; and Gatfield, now Lowe's CEO, is a U.K. native who ran Leo Burnett in London and Asia Pacific, and who ran its international network from Chicago.

Also on the list is Jean Marie Dru, a Frenchman who is CEO of TBWA; and Brett Gosper, an Australian, who has held senior posts in his native country plus France, Germany and the U.K. at various agencies. He is now president, McCann Erickson U.S.

Gatfield noted that the influx of talent is due partially to the 'types of managers' being churned out in the U.S. firms. Here, he suggested, the industry is too domestically focused. "More growth is coming from emerging markets," he said. "By default rather than by design, people who have done more of the network management in regions have become more attractive -- because they have more global experience."

Popular posts from this blog

Industrial and Manufacturing Technology Growth

In an evolving era of rapid advancement, market demand for innovative technology in the industrial and manufacturing sectors is skyrocketing. Leaders are recognizing the immense potential of digital transformation and are driving initiatives to integrate technologies into their business operations.  These initiatives aim to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately drive growth and competitiveness in an increasingly digital business upward trajectory. The industrial and manufacturing sectors have been the backbone of the Global Networked Economy, contributing $16 trillion in value in 2021. Industrial and Manufacturing Tech Market Development   This growth represents a 20 percent increase from 2020, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of these sectors in the face of unprecedented challenges, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research . The five largest manufacturing verticals -- automotive, computer and electronic, primary metal, food, and machinery -

GenAI Revolution: The Future of B2B Sales Apps

When B2B buyers consider a purchase they spend just 17 percent of that time meeting with vendors. When they are comparing multiple suppliers‚ time spent with any one salesperson is 5 or 6 percent. Self-directed B2B buyer online research has already changed procurement. IT vendors are less likely to be involved in solution assessment. Now, more disruptive changes are on the horizon. By 2028, 60 percent of B2B seller work will be executed through conversational user interfaces via Generative Artificial Intelligence sales technologies -- that's up from less than 5 percent in 2023, according to Gartner. Generative AI Market Development "Sales operations leaders and their technology teams must prepare for the convergence of new forms of artificial intelligence, dynamic process automation, and reinvented deal-planning activities that will transform the sales function," said Adnan Zijadic, director analyst at Gartner . According to the Gartner assessment, Generative AI (GenAI) s

Rise of AI-Enabled Smart Traffic Management

The demand for smart traffic management systems has grown due to rising urban populations and increasing vehicle ownership. With more people and cars concentrated in cities, problems like traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions are pressing issues. Since the early 2000s, government leaders have been exploring ways to leverage advances in IoT connectivity, sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics to address these transportation challenges. The concept of a Smart City emerged in the 2010s, with smart mobility and intelligent traffic management as key components.  Smart Traffic Management Market Development Concerns about continued climate change, as well as cost savings from improved traffic flow, have further motivated local government investment in these advanced systems. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, they found that by 2028, smart traffic management investment will be up by 75 percent from a 2023 figure of