UM CEO Ross Raeburn will leave the business in July to head up IPG Mediabrands stablemate Ansible, AdNews can reveal.
He has been in the position for just under two years, succeeding Max Baxter after his move to New York. He was one of the many top execs brought on by former IPG Mediabrands CEO Henry Tajer.
Raeburn will move to CEO of Ansible in July, at which time Danny Bass will become interim leader for UM as the agency prepares to name a new CEO. He replaces Scott Player, who has been the CEO of Ansible Australia for more than two and a half years.
“Placing an executive of Ross’ calibre in charge of Ansible is a true measure of the important role Ansible plays in our Mediabrands business and its future potential,” Bass says.
“As clients innovate towards opportunities to better connect with people, mobility is one of the highest priorities and is also where Ansible drives effective change. Ross’ career pedigree and passion has been in digital and mobile, having led Soap creative until he joined Mediabrands two years ago.”
Raeburn joined UM from digital agency Soap in 2015, where he was managing director for nearly five years. Before that he spent almost two decades of experience as a digital strategist.
“I couldn’t be prouder of what we achieved at UM over the past couple of years. I’m excited to now join the Ansible team and continue working with incredible brands and progressive marketers to develop genuinely valued and relevant consumer experiences. Ansible’s culture of innovation and dedication to develop it’s own products and IP will remain a key area of focus," Raeburn says.
IPG's mobile agency Mnet rebranded to become Ansible in 2016. The agency has a national staff of 62 people and offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
The move follows the departure of Tajer from IPG Mediabrands after two years as global CEO.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.