BWM Sydney creative director, Luke Chess and director of digital communications Simon Smith have both resigned from the agency amid a major internal restructure to implement its Hub model across the entire agency.
The multi-awarded Chess had only been at the agency since the beginning of the year (he will leave end of November), lured from Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney. While Smith, brought in from the UK, had only been there for six weeks.
(Late addition: In an email to CB, BWM ECD Rob Belgiovane said: "Group heads will be reporting into me direct. Dean Hamilton...ex 180 Amsterdam, Dave Shirlaw ex M&C and Paul Bennell ex Clems Sydney. Given these guys should be good I reckon.")
In a statement issued today, only one paragraph late in the release mentioned their departures, with the addition of the following: BWM thanks Smith and Chess for their excellent work at the agency, and wishes them well in their next challenge.
Calls to Chess were unanswered.
Paul Williams, BWM CEO, said the rolling out of the Hub model follows huge success of the structure on the BigPond account over the past two years. BWM has developed the model in collaboration with some of the world’s leading contemporary agencies via its affiliation with thenetworkone, which hosts seminars between the world’s leading independent agencies at the Cannes Advertising Festival.
“We want to challenge the traditional ad agency structures and ensure our most senior talent are adding value where it most counts – on our clients’ businesses and brands. We have broken down the traditional Creative, Account Management, Planning and Digital departments, and teamed our most senior people from each skill set into complementary client Hubs. Each Hub will have specific creative, strategic and management autonomy, and report to the core management team of the founding partners and Management Board.
“This aligns the core skill sets to focus on the only thing that clients ultimately care about, big ideas that deliver results."
Each Hub reports to the core management team of founding partners Executive Creative Director Rob Belgiovane, Williams, and Partner Jamie Mackay, supported by Planning Director Hristos Varouhas and Business Directors Nicole Taylor and Richard O’Rourke.
BWM has recently been named among 11 of the world’s leading independent agencies in a special edition of Campaign Magazine UK, for the second year running. The publication has quickly become a controversial but influential barometer of the rising level of talent in independent advertising and marketing communications agencies.
This year, BWM has added $32m in new business, including the online business of Virgin Money, NIB, PBL’s MyHome.com.au and Slate bourbon from Diageo.