Official: Russel Howcroft to take EGM role at TEN early next year; Y&R announces new structure
Y&R Global CEO David Sable today announced a new structure for the Y&R Group in Australia and New Zealand, which goes into effect with Russel Howcroft’s announced departure from the group to take up the executive general manager role at TEN, as reported by CB.
Says Sabel: “The strength of our network is seen in our client relationships, our Cannes wins, agency of the year and recent EFFIE honors. And just last night the agency won seven Gold awards at Spikes Asia.
“We are delighted that Russel will remain non-executive chairman of Y&R Group. And it goes without saying, of course, that we are excited about his next chapter and wish him the very best.
“In the past few years, we have focused on making each of our local offices leaders in their markets, and the group’s unity of purpose has resulted in great, effective work that is recognized globally. We have strong people in place everywhere, and plan a seamless transition.
“Jason Buckley, who joined Y&R Brands ANZ as chief financial officer late last year, will now take on the additional role of chief operations officer of the Sydney offices of George Patterson Y&R, VML and Ideaworks.
“The creative leadership of Ben Coulson, Julian Watt and Piet Human; the strategic genius of Jon Steel and the senior executive team of Steve Doherty, Jon Bird and Phil McDonald have made Y&R the one of the leading marcoms networks in Australia. The recent additions of James Hurman and Josh Moore in New Zealand have further bolstered our management resources. Our aggressive digital expansion included the launch of VML Australia this year and our digital leaders, Aden Hepburn, Rob Hudson and Matt Farrugia are enormously talented.”
Says Howcroft: “Since returning to George Patterson Y&R in late 2006 I have had the time of my advertising life, and we have accomplished so much that makes me proud.”
Howcroft also paid tribute to Sable and his colleagues on the Y&R Global Exco.
Says Howcroft: “David’s determination to create a genuine global boutique, with the best agencies in every market, focused on becoming its clients’ most valued partner, is well on the way to being realised.”
Howcroft will take up his new posting at Network Ten early next year.
7 Comments
Howcroft is over acting again.
Bad Transfer to a dead brand. 10
Hey David-Your blog and PR are pretty mum about the underperforming (comatose) offices in South Asia and China?
What gives?
Other networks are killing it up there.
Being on television is a very different brief to running a television network. It’s even more different than appointing a star copywriter to the position of creative director – to use an example from a business more familiar to CB bloggers.
In both cases different skill-sets are required.
I offer the appointment a few years ago of Eddie Maguire as CEO of the Nine network as another example, a spectacular failure and one where swapping entire industries was not even required. I suspect the TV industry is far more demanding, difficult and cut-throat than advertising. But I wouldn’t know for sure, I worked in advertising, not television.
Like Russel.
Good luck Russ, I hope you prove me wrong.
Probably the best thing to happen to TEN since The Simpsons.
RE: Doubting Thomas
I think assuming that because Eddie Maguire couldn’t cut it as a CEO means that Russell won’t either because he too is from outside Television ignores one important fact.
Eddie was a TV personality and Russell is a Manager and that’s what his new job will be at Ten. So what that his new job is in TV, he’ll still be a manager. Plenty of CEO’s change industries all the time and they bring with them new approaches and management styles.
Good luck Russel. Should be an interesting time.
As Supporting Thomas says, it’s wrong to compare Russel to Eddie Macguire. Russel is a manager who’s done a little performing, Macguire is a performer who had done very, very little managing.
That said, it’s a very different industry. And unlike advertising, where you can run a campaign for a big brand (beer for instance) and never really find out if it was much of a success because of the lag time in terms of sales, with TV you know the ratings the next morning. And you can’t talk your way out of it by saying, well, the category has been in steady decline etc etc. (Sound familiar, Clems?)
But it will be a new life experience for Russel, and that can’t be bad.