McCann hit by a leadership team shake-up

Paige Murphy
By Paige Murphy | 11 February 2020
 

McCann's leadership team has already undergone a shake up following news that former CEO Ben Lilley is taking ownership of the group in Australia.

AdNews understands Melbourne managing director Georgie Pownall was made redundant last week.

Pownall had been leading the Melbourne agency since late 2018, when she joined from Publicis Mojo.

Sydney managing director Hazelle Klønhammer and chief strategy officer Fran Clayton have also both resigned.

Klønhammer, who was the co-founder of the now defunct agency Ugly, had been in the role for one year

Clayton joined McCann Australia in early 2018 alongside former McCann CEO Nicole Taylor.

The pair joined the agency together after defecting from DDB where they were both in the same roles.

At the time, Taylor replaced Lilley who departed the role to move overseas with his family to enjoy a “career break” in France.

Taylor left the CEO role in June last year, re-joining the DDB global network at Barcelona agency C14torce. She cited family reasons for the move.

Last week, McCann Australia announced it would change ownership with Lilley returning after two years apart from the business.

He has re-acquired the agency that he founded 20 years ago, SMART, which McCann acquired in 2011, as well as McCann’s Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast operations and its PR business, The Red Republic.

McCann Australia will remain part of the McCann Worldgroup network as an affiliate business partner under independent ownership.

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