After almost a decade Australia’s Tom Dery steps down as M&C Saatchi’s worldwide chairman
M&C Saatchi CEO, David Kershaw today announced that after nine years, Australia’s Tom Dery will be stepping down as Worldwide Chairman of M&C Saatchi Network. Dery will remain as Chairman of M&C Saatchi Australia and continue working out of the M&C Saatchi Sydney office.
Dery (far left, with Lord Maurice Saatchi) has been instrumental in growing M&C Saatchi into a powerhouse global network, founding the Australian, Asian and West Coast US businesses.
Says Lord Maurice Saatchi, M&C Saatchi co-founder: “Tom Dery is a legend in advertising and deservedly so. He is the creator of many highly successful and respected companies in our network. We are proud and privileged to have shared in his historic personal achievements.”
Says Dery: “I’m delighted to be continuing to work with the Australian business and doing everything I can to assist Jaimes Leggett and his management team. The past nine years as Worldwide Chairman and thirteen years as Chairman of Asia Pacific have allowed me to establish and nurture some very dear relationships with our clients and people.”
Throughout his duration as Worldwide Chairman, Dery has pursued his passion for bringing business and not-for-profit causes together. He played an integral role in launching the ground-breaking campaign for ACRF on World Cancer Day and most recently spearheaded the global launch of AIME Mentoring.
Dery’s career has been divided between client and agency sides. His client experiences were with Qantas Airlines and Ansett (general manager, commercial). On the agency side he was a partner of The Campaign Palace, chairman and co-founder of Whybin Dery Barnes (precursor to TBWA in Australia), managing director of DDB Melbourne and as of May 1995, executive chairman of M&C Saatchi Asia Pacific.
Additionally, in 2015 Dery was selected as one of only 30 Fellows globally for the highly prestigious Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. The same year, Dery became an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday honours list.
5 Comments
A hearty mazal tov Tom. What an amazing contribution to the industry.
The last 25 years Australia has seen the birth of many an agency, but none can compare with the success of M&C.
What the two Toms achieved is quite remarkable. That the ‘brothers’ chose Tom Dery
to be their Worldwide Chairman is testament to his boundless talent and dedication.
‘The proof is in the pudding’ as they say, and who amongst us ever felt comfortable coming up against the combined strength of the Toms; surely the most successful partnership in Australian advertising since Mo and Jo.
Well done Tom. You’ve sure come a long way from slapping your forehead at the Campaign Palace!
I trust you [and Tom Mc] have been richly rewarded for your achievements – because you certainly deserve to be.
Tom, for me, is an object lesson in how to succeed in one of the world’s most cut-throat, vicious and shallow industries…without letting the limitations of the business define who you are, or how you operate.
I’m glad there are still people worth admiring in advertising.
For now.
I recall the Wells Nobay McDowall office in Carlton, where M&C (or Tom + Tom) set up the back entrance as their reception for the ANZ Bank pitch. We even had to be in the office early having “meetings” as the potential client walked through to the boardroom.
That win was the start of their success and a great business. One agency grew and thrived, while the other disappeared inside 3 years….
Congratulations Tom!
Yes,’they’ do say ‘The proof is in the pudding’, but ‘they’ consistently get the quote wrong.
It’s actually ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating.’
Do try to get it right when pontificating. It makes you appear so much more intelligent.
Yours pompously,
A Nit-Picking Hair-Splitting Pedant.
Oh, and well done Tom.