Senior creative redundancies at Ogilvy Sydney including ECD Derek Green, CD Russell Smyth and creative director of technology Mikey Ford
UPDATED – CB can reveal there has been several senior creative redundancies at Ogilvy Sydney, including executive creative director Derek Green (left), creative director Russell Smyth (far left) and creative director of technology Mikey Ford.
When contacted CB received the following statement from Ogilvy: Following Ogilvy’s ‘Re-Founding’ announced June 2018, Ogilvy Sydney has determined a new creative direction is required to move the business forward and therefore some creative staff left the agency some weeks ago.
David Fox, CEO Ogilvy Australia said during the transition period before new hires are made the creative direction of the agency will be led by Ogilvy’s senior creative leaders.
Announcements about new hires will be made in due course.
An internationally acclaimed and award winning creative, Green joined Ogilvy in 2014 from his role as SVP, executive creative director of Cramer Krasselt in Chicago – a role he took on in March 2012.
Originally from Sydney, Green earned his stripes working for top tier advertising agencies in the UK, Europe and the US, working on blue chip global brands including P&G, Novartis, Canon, Subaru, Diageo and Heineken to name a few.
CEO Ogilvy Australia, David Fox thanked Green for his contribution to the agency and wished him well for the future. Says Fox: “The search for a new ECD for Ogilvy is underway and an announcement about an appointment will be made in due course, while the search for a new creative lead is in progress the creative direction of the agency will be led by Ogilvy’s senior creative leaders.”
Says Green: “It’s time for my next big challenge. It’s been a great 3.5 years at Ogilvy Sydney. I am proud to be part of the transformation of Ogilvy Australia with numerous new business wins, a couple of Cannes Lions and recently a Gold APAC EFFIE and I wish them all the best for the future.”
Green can be contacted on 0412 325 066.
Smyth has been at Ogilvy since April 2010 after a career that included The Campaign Palace, where he was CD from 2005 until late 2008 and before that, CD at Batey Redcell.
While at The Palace, the highly talented Smyth also co-created the sitcom Chandon Pictures, which aired in Australia and sold to a major US network.
Smyth told CB he will freelance for a while and see what’s out there. He can be contacted on 0414 768 139.
With a 16-year career spanning international and local roles, Ford (left) joined Ogilvy in 2016 from DT, where he was creative technologist responsible for developing technology focused creative ideas for clients including Optus, IBM, RU OK?, and Tourism Australia. He was instrumental in creating the technology for Coca Cola’s Colour Your Summer; a world first mobile image recognition technology.
46 Comments
I love Russ.
still there?
Well that sucks. How can getting rid of Russ help the agency? Stupid. Go hard, mate, their loss.
Long live the Frying Pain
4 in 5 years from creative Department.
None in account service.
Maybe new direction can happen when that too gets a looking at.
Some fries never land in the pan.
‘Let’s look at the actual problem’
Ahh… Rusty.
More time to catch up for a beer.
Another one.
Account Service was included in this round and good people have been lost.
Rusty is a good guy. In a notoriously fickle industry he’s survived for many, many years. This could be an opportunity for him, or it could be the beginning of the end. The more senior you get, the more expensive you get, the more political it becomes. Experience doesn’t necessarily save you. Age can count against you. Even for good guys. Even for talented people. Agencies have to be seen to be doing something to revive their fortunes and reputations, whether or not they fire the right person/people. Often they don’t really know themselves. He was the most senior creative there, so logically, the assassin was a bean counter. I doubt in this case it was personal.
Rusty. The man is a legend. Kind hearted, ego free, smart and a survivor. He’ll be snapped up in no time soon. Poor move Ogilvy.
Derek has always been such a pleasure to work with. I hope another agency snaps him up and he can have a little bit more creative freedom.
Plenty of room for both you legends up here in God’s Country.
The funny bit is that Ogilvy Melbourne didn’t even make the news. Many redundancies earlier around April 2018 and no talk about it.
Derek is the only person I can remember who’s made decent work out of Ogilvy. When he joined the product changed significantly, just like Coulson joining Clems Sydney.
What a shame.
agree Darren hinch it seems no matter how hard you work, how good the work is they still churn and burn their creatives af Ogilvy rather than investing in and growing their staff!
Even the so called jewel in the WPPAUNZ crown has the wobbles now. The ship is a sinking…
Best of luck in your next chapter Derek. You WILL go onto something better, believe me.
Senior management appoints Chris Ford and Andrew Ostrom. New chairman joins. The grumpy old man that walked the corridors pushes Chris Ford and Andrew Ostrom out to replace with his own guy, Brett Howlett. Chairman gets booted for monumentally screwing up Woolworths pitch, Brett Howlett is kicked to the curb and Steve Back is Appointed. Steve Back gets booted. Fox comes in as CEO appoints Derek Green. Then cuts Derek Green. Meanwhile, all the young talent under Chris Ford’s time have gone on to become epic talents in all the great agencies around Sydney. Winning pencils and lions.
Watching from the sidelines, it looked like they had finally steadied the ship with Derek. But no. And now Rusty has been axed as well. Ogilvy is a joke. Ogilvy will always be a joke. If you want to turn around an agency take a leaf out of James McGrath’s book at Clemenger Melbourne’s. Clean out account service and strip them of the entitlement. Get back to basics and focus on the work. Now they’re one of the best agencies in the world. But sure keep doing the same thing and keep expecting a different result.
Any ECD thinking of taking this job, don’t. Run a mile. It’s not too late. Seriously. Not even joking.
Easy Deryn, Chris Ford did names on Coke and not only cleaned up at Cannes but also won the first effectiveness Grand Prix at Cannes. Nobody has come close to that. What happened to Chris Ford? Well, he was pushed out by angry chairman. What a disaster this place has been.
I’m hankering for them to cut some more deadwood.
FYI you’ve done shit all at Clems Sydney. Fast forward six months and my money says you won’t be there. The agency is in free fall and you’re culpable.
Keep bigging yourself up on the Brief though. Hope it makes you feel good.
FU.
Heavens, that got a little intense. More importantly, Russell rocks.
As an ex-Clems Melbourne suit I can tell you the Agency was toxic and rotten from the top.
There’s more to life than winning awards
Good people, lousy agency. Those extra zeros would look good in any account yum yum
The only thing separating agencies and consultants is the creative. So why do agencies always treat creatives as disposable and the suits rule?
When the consultants start hiring great creatives like these three, it will be goodbye network agencies.
This industry sucks. Derek is a great person to work for, he’s created a great team and the work coming out of Ogilvy has been awesome. WTF?
Just to add another layer of Slime to this announcement, I believe one has just had a new baby. Can you imagine the reaction had this happened to a female ECD?
I can’t believe they are the ones to go, while other dead wood hangs around.
Brutal industry. Regardless of all the above nonsense, I just hope those made redundant and their families/partners are okay.
Russ is a legend. I wish the best of luck to him
Somethings don’t change. Ogilvy will be Ogilvy and they are miles away from the work NY and other offices are doing. Their focus is money, not creativity. It’s part of the business
Never worked for him, but Derek took a solid hour to give me advice when I got to Australia. Class act.
Gone tomorrow.
Nice bunch of people.
Certainly feel for Mikey. Really clever guy. His achilles heel was always developing close-knit client relationships outside of the suits. Unfair on him, though – no reflection his brilliance or work ethic.
Can someone tell me how many good people have to keep avoiding the invisible bullet, keeping everyone in this industry under extreme stress and anxiety before we say enough is enough. This industry is abusive to people. What’s the purpose of disposing of people so frequently only to hire the same? If you come in and you can’t work with the people you’re given, you’re not a good enough at being a leader. It’s not them, it’s you.
Rant over.
Great people gone at the same time. Start your own agency together, take some of the clients.
But he was one of the most genuine dudes in advertising. A real shame this industry chews people like him up.
Park the anger and outrage.
This shit happens in all big agencies, and has been happening since Adam was a boy.
Unfortunately, you’re too young to know or remember.
Yeah that’s right.
It’s been happening for ages so it must be ok.
Despite it being shitty.
Bet you still can’t believe women are taking leadership positions
You can’t smoke at your desk
And you could get fired for the sexist crap you have been dropping for years.
Times change
Maybe it’s time you retired.
I retired a million years ago, sonny.
And boy, does it feel goooooooooooooood.
In a swamp full of egomaniacal senior creatives at Ogilvy, Russell was always a ray of clever, funny, and kind sunshine to this, then junior, creative. If they haven’t happened already, better things will surely be coming his way.
To the next ECD,
Bring an Axe and a big broom.
There’s so much dead wood to be removed for this agency to function well.
Sadly Deadwood is a protected species in Ogilvy – I feel sorry for anyone looking at the role it is obvious Ogilvy management don’t suppprt their senior creatives, they don’t exactly have a good track record!! No one will ever be ENOUGH.. funny how that’s not required of anyone else in the organisation.. the industry needs an overhaul. It’s disgusting how it treats good hardworking creatives! Perhaps Ogilvy management would be better served investing in their staff instead of disposing of them!
Well good to see retirement has brought out the compassionate side in you.
Seriously, retirement so good that you feel that a post about two good people losing their job is the appropriate forum to share your dated opinion?
Back to your bingo mate.
Derek is a class act. Brilliant creative and a pleasure to work with. Can’t wait to see what he does next.
Oh no, not the unhairy banana.