I have
exciting news to share with you about the new generation of leadership at
Saatchi & Saatchi. This follows an announcement today by Publicis Groupe.
Commencing
January 1, 2015, I will become Executive Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi,
based in New York. In addition, I shall be accelerating leadership development
across the Groupe, in the newly-created position of Head Coach, Publicis Groupe.
Robert Senior will become Worldwide CEO reporting to me, and based in London.
He is currently CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Group in EMEA and Chairman
of our Creative Board. Robert has an outstanding ability to inspire
world-changing creative work, to communicate to clients the ways to navigate
the challenges of today’s consumer landscape, and has a deep feeling for what
makes Saatchi & Saatchi unique. Creative, Operations, Planning, Finance and
Talent leaders will report to Robert.
Chris Foster will become Worldwide Chief Operating Officer, reporting to
Robert, and based in Singapore. Chris is currently CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi
Asia Pacific. In our network he has unsurpassed US and international business
experience, is an exceptional client and team leader, and importantly, is based
in the world’s growth engine of Asia. Agency CEOs and operational heads will
report to Chris.
I have worked
very closely with Robert and Chris over the past two years preparing them for
these roles, and as Executive Chairman I will continue to mentor them as they
grow into their new roles. Robert and Chris have deep Saatchi & Saatchi
leadership experience, they have been generators of our growth and creative
momentum, and they bring highly complementary skills together to create an
alchemy that will write the next chapter of Saatchi & Saatchi’s story as a
global creative leader.
This
succession plan will allow us to move forward in a well-planned, confident and
sustainable manner.
(For football
followers, we have studied the leadership succession failures at Manchester
United, and have understood, and actioned, exactly what to do and what not to
do!!).
I will retain
personal responsibility for our US Toyota and Lexus business as we navigate our
key client’s 2016 move to Plano, Texas. Kurt Ritter will report directly to me
during this time.
Robert, Chris
and I will announce further internal news following our Global Leadership Team
meeting in New York next week.
As you will
read from the Groupe announcement, Maurice and I will continue to serve on the
Groupe Directoire until the 2016 results are approved – end of Q1 2017. At that
time further announcements around our plans will be made.
KEVIN ROBERTS CNZM