Saatchi’s chief Ian Rowden to leave the network, set to move to USA for family reasons end of May

CB exclusive – CB can reveal Saatchi & Saatchi regional boss Ian Rowden is leaving the network and will berelocating to the US at the end of May to be closer to his family. 

He will be based in Southern California where his son is attending university and his daughter is planning on studying, but he won’t be seeking a role within the industry. 

Asked if he’ll effectively be retiring, he said: “I’ll effectively be doing a whole bunch of things you do when you live on the beach in Southern California. I’ll be surfing and playing golf and doing things that you do when you’ve got time. I’m moving home for my family, it’s been a long time planned.”

In a memo to staff, Kevin Roberts, the global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, paid tribute to Rowden as he returns to the US.

Says Roberts: “This was a consideration when he joined us in 2008, and has become increasingly difficult with his family split between the US and Australia. Between now and his departure, he will assist me with the transition for APAC. The region will report directly to me. I will announce further details in coming weeks.”

Roberts added that in the last three and a half years Rowden had led the transformation in leadership throughout the region, creating a team Roberts is confident will continue to strengthen Saatchi’s business in this key part of the network. 

“I’d like to thank Rowdy for his passion, his energy, his leadership and for his terrific contributions to the SSWEB. And for the mentoring role he has played for many of the up and comers. He will be missed,” he said. 

Before joining Saatchi & Saatchi in February 2008, Rowden was EVP and chief marketing officer for Wendy’s International and prior to that he was EVP and chief marketing officer of Callaway Golf where he oversaw the company’s global marketing and product development.

Rowden said his remit took in 21 countries across the region and he has spent a lot of time in the last three and a half years working on new leadership for the region in key countries like Australia, China and Singapore.

“I think the region is in great shape, there are great people in place who can do the job that needs to be done, that’s why the timing is right,” he said.

Fortunes have been mixed for the Sydney office of late and Saatchis is believed to be searching for a creative hot-shop to buy in the Australian market to boost its ranks after an offer to buy The Drunk Monkeys failed to materialise. John Foley was hired as CEO in February 2009, relocating from his role as CEO of Saatchi Singapore and Malaysia to replace Simone Bartley. 

Last November Lion Nathan dropped the agency from Tooheys New and Hahn, ending a decade-long relationship. It also lost the David Jones account to M&C Saatchi and saw its stronghold on the Toyota account threatened when Droga5 was awarded a place on the roster with Yaris. (Three months later the Yaris business shifted to Dentsu, which is launching in Australia.) 

Rowden is the latest high profile player to leave the network with the Sydney agency also seeking a new creative leader after Steve Backrelocated to Asia as chief creative officer of Ogilvy Singapore after three years. Back had joined Saatchis in November 2007, replacing David Nobaywhen he left to start up Droga5 Sydney. 

Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney was awarded Agency of the Year at the 2011 AWARD Awards held in Sydney this February, taking home six Silver and 15 Bronze at the show. The winningwork included Lion Nathan’s ‘Beer is Currency for Tooheys New and Toyota’s’Nothing Soft Gets in’ as well as work for the Sydney Festival.

Steve Jackson, Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney’screative leader, recently joined Droga5 Sydney as a creative director and Vince Lagana left last year to join Goodby,Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco. 

In New Zealand there’s also an interim creative director with Jeremy Taine temporarily stepping into the role with Dylan Harrison leaving after seven months to join DDB Sydney as ECD. Angus Wardlaw also left the agency along with Tim Huse. Harrison succeeded outgoing ECD Mike O’Sullivan, who left to form Droga5 New Zealand with Saatchi CEO Andrew ‘Rocky’ Stone. 

A native of Sydney, Rowden started his career with Coca-Cola in Sydney in the early 1980. Eight years later he left Coca-Cola to serve as General Manager, Marketing for the Power Brewing Company in Brisbane, and later became a Director and Managing Partner of DDB Needham Advertising in Sydney.  

Rowden returned to Coca-Cola in 1992 when he was appointed Vice President of Marketing for the company’s South Pacific Region. From 1993-1995 he was VP and region director for Coca-Cola in China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan until he was promoted to VP and director of worldwide advertising based in Atlanta.