Why Gavin McLeod departed the ECD role at R/GA Sydney to take on the AKQA SF challenge

Back in December CB revealed that former R/GA Sydney ECD Gavin McLeod had been lured to the plum executive creative director gig at AKQA, San Francisco. Now CB takes a closer look at that decision…

After four years at R/GA Sydney, what will you miss the most in Australia?

Definitely the amazing group of people I’m leaving behind. The best part of my job was that I had a hand in employing many of them and it was an amazing opportunity to hire nice, incredibly talented people. They really were amongst the best I’ve ever worked with and, unsurprisingly, they were constantly being approached by other agencies and technology companies. I suppose I should look at it as a compliment, but I always took it too closely to heart.

I’ll also miss the strong relationships I developed over the years with clients. This is especially true of Telstra who showed me a huge amount of trust over the four years I worked on their business. It was much appreciated. I’ll also miss the odd cheeky long lunch to celebrate our achievements. Nobody does them quite like Australians. They’re always massively fun and refreshingly politically incorrect. Intrigued to see how they are in the US.

On a personal level, I’m really going to miss the Northern Beaches surf scene. I’m a 5 minute drive from North Steyne and after 16 years have finally earned a “G’day” grunt from the hard core locals. I’m gutted that I will have to start all over again when we get back. Even though I started surfing in the icy waters of Cape Town, I’m also not looking forward to getting back into freezing cold water.

Why AKQA?

Three things ultimately drove the decision. Firstly, I naturally gravitate towards jobs that I know will push me outside my comfort zone. I made a pact a long time ago that I’d get out of the industry the day I started feeling comfortable. In my mind, comfortable equates to inertia. I think the best work always makes you feel uncomfortable as it sits outside your usual frames of reference. I know that AKQA will challenge me as a creative and also as a leader. It’s a challenge that I’m really looking forward to.

Secondly, I’ve always harboured a desire to spend a few years working in the US. In my opinion, it’s the most dynamic and interesting ad market in the world. I see it as being the ultimate test of my abilities, but I’ve been cautious about who I chose to do it with.

 I’ve been fortunate to have a couple of interesting job opportunities in the States come my way over the past few years, but ultimately none of them felt quite right. AKQA stood out. I have huge respect for them as an agency. They are fiercely non-traditional and fearless in their approach. The San Francisco office is one of the largest in the network and has done some world-class work over the years. As ECD, I want to make sure we continue to create work for the future and have fun while we do it. 

Finally, who I work with is very important to me. I read somewhere that Matt Eastwood has a simple rule: “no assholes”. It’s a good mantra to stick to in your working career. When I met the team at AKQA I felt immediately at home. They are a great bunch of people who have a singular passion to do amazing work. I’m inheriting a strong creative team with some seriously talented senior leaders. My job is going to be simple: Get the best out of them by providing as much direction and support as I can.

What are you looking forward to achieving in the US?

I’m salivating at the sheer scale of the opportunities at AKQA. There is enormous opportunity to bring to life – some of the more innovative ideas that often struggle to see the light of day in Australia. This is often driven by smaller budgets or, sometimes, a lack of vision on some, client side. I’m hoping that it will be the opposite in the US. From what I’ve seen so far, the opportunities are definitely there. My job is going to be making sure we leave no stone unturned making them happen. If the work is good enough, hopefully the industry accolades will follow.

What is the difference between the creative industry in the US versus Australia?

The most instantly noticeable one is the seriously impressive titles. One company I spoke to wanted to give me the title “Senior Vice President Executive Creative Director”, what does that even mean? It’s only fairly recently that Aussie agencies got used to having an ECD. Before then a good old CD was about as high as any of us aspired to. Beyond that, it’s too early for me to comment about the differences. But I’ll take a stab at the things that I think will hold me in good stead.

Working in Australia teaches you lots of great traits as a creative. How good ideas can make even the smallest budgets go far. And how collaborating with the right people can add a shine to your ideas that you would never have been able to do yourself. You also quickly learn how to keep picking yourself up every time you get knocked down. Keep on presenting the best ideas you have and eventually one will get up. You also learn the value of building solid client relationships. It’s not easy getting good work through. It’s easier if the clients trust that you have their best interests at heart.

Probably the most important lesson is to do what you say you’ll do. This is particularly important in terms of managing a creative team. It sounds easy, but I’ve learnt the hard way that it’s often harder to hold yourself to this than you think. Finally, I’ve heard it’s a lot more politically correct in the US. I’m usually pretty open about what my thoughts are, so that will be interesting to see how that pans out. As someone I trust once said to me, the best thing you can do is be true to yourself. It’s good advice that I intend to follow.

What are the pros and cons with this move to San Francisco?

San Francisco promises to be a great adventure for us. Lonely Planet has a great intro: “Grab your coat and a handful of glitter, and enter the land of fog and fabulousness. So long, inhibitions; hello, San Francisco”. Who wouldn’t want to spend a bit of time there after reading that?

It’s also obviously the heart of the tech revolution, which naturally leads to a wide range of creative opportunities. I love working across the whole spectrum of products, services and comms. The AKQA office offers this opportunity in spades. Plus, I get to do it with a great team of very ambitious people.

I also get to surf Mavericks – one of the legendary big wave spots. Although from what I’ve heard that can very quickly turn into a serious con.