Ogilvy New Zealand's managing director Greg Partington has bought WPP AUNZ’s shares in the business.
Partington will retain Ogilvy New Zealand’s local clients under the deal and rebrand the agency Stanley St.
The terms of the deal haven't been announced.
WPP AUNZ will retain the Ogilvy brand and proprietary tools and launch Ogilvy International, an agency positioned to continue serving Ogilvy’s globally aligned clients.
Partington thanked WPP AUNZ for supporting the deal and says Stanley St will continue to build on the "New Zealand-centric" offering.
“I’m no stranger to running my own agency and this fulfils my desire to return to doing that," Partington says.
“Our aim is to celebrate the creative and media partnership that has long been central to our client proposition. Our focus is on continued integration of our services powered by technology, creatively inspired and results driven – one that is future-proofed to deliver better results for our clients.”
Stanley St has offices in both Auckland and Wellington.
The agency will be led by Ian Rodney who has been appointed as managing director.
Sven Baker, WPP AUNZ New Zealand managing director, says the deal made sense for both parties.
“We’re pleased to have reached this agreement, which allows Ogilvy International to focus on supporting Ogilvy’s globally and regionally aligned clients as well as develop new local clients looking to grow internationally," Baker says.
“Ogilvy International will invest in creativity and technology, and leverage WPP’s global scale and investments, to deliver a fully integrated offer to its clients in New Zealand.”
Ogilvy International will be led by WPP AUNZ business director Mark Jenner and will come under the umbrella of Ogilvy Australia CEO David Fox.
Ogilvy International aims to be operational from October, with clients expected to transition over a period of a couple of months.
Baker thanked Partington for his commitment to building Ogilvy in NZ.
“The agency has been a powerful presence in the local market for a long time," Baker says.
"We wish Greg and his team all the very best as they take on this new and exciting challenge.”
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