SIMONE BARTLEY DEPARTS SAATCHI
EXCLUSIVE – Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney CEO Simone Bartley left the agency today, and will be replaced by John Foley, CEO of Saatchi Singapore and Malaysia, effective mid February.
Where Simone is off to is unclear at this stage, but she told CB she has several options in Australia and promised to tell all when finalised…
Meanwhile, Ian Rowden, Saatchi & Saatchi’s Sydney based Chairman and CEO, ASIA Pacific, has emailed all Saatchi Sydney staff, introducing Foley (pictured below left): “I am pleased to announce the appointment of John Foley as CEO Saatchi & Saatchi Australia. John has been with the Saatchi & Saatchi network for over 14 years.
He spent the first eight years of his career with Saatchi & Saatchi at the world acclaimed, Wellington office where he was intimately involved in famous campaigns for clients such as Toyota NZ, adidas International (All Blacks & 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan) and Telecom New Zealand.
He moved to Asia in 2002 where he was the Regional Director for the Toyota and Lexus Business for Asia Pacific reporting directly into Worldwide CEO, Kevin Roberts.
In 2004 he was appointed CEO of our Malaysia office and under John’s leadership the office became one of the ‘star’ agencies in our global network. A year ago John was promoted into a dual CEO role for both Malaysia and Singapore. Across the two agencies he was responsible for key regional clients that include Sony Ericsson, Toyota, Lexus, Tiger Beer, P&G, UOB Bank, Mead Johnson, Kraft & MSIG Insurance.
John has celebrated great success across both operations. Malaysia was the most awarded agency in the Asia Pacific region at the Cannes Festival. Meanwhile Singapore continues to be a creative powerhouse – ranked No.7 most creative agency in the Gunn Report and both offices won 2008 Agency of the year. Malaysia two years running, Singapore three years running.
Since arriving at Saatchi & Saatchi, I have been extremely impressed with John’s leadership in both Malaysia and Singapore. I’m delighted that John has agreed to accept my offer to lead our Sydney office and look forward to working with him to shape the future success of this agency. In his new role John will report directly to me.
Please join me in welcoming John, his wife Sara and their two children, Georgia & Jack to Sydney as well as wishing him every success in his new role.
John Foley replaces Simone Bartley as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Australia effective February 15th, 2009.”
18 Comments
McCanns?
I smell a rat. Watch your backs.
Who will take over Foley’s roll at Singapore and KL?
Well done John Foley. Good to see good guys doing well!
Looks like you might be in the running champ! 😉
Chiko or sausage 8:10?
Boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyys Club strikes again.
Droga 5 ?
Well done Bartles. You did a great job at Saatchi. What’s next?
Speaking of Droga 5.
It’s the middle of Summer .
I’s a heat wave in Melbourne.
Where are the VB ads?
Why is it the women who have to leave and the blokey blokes all stick together? Can think of a few other places where it happened too. Backy knows one of them all too well.
Good luck Simone, You left a great lasting impression at S&S and no doubt will continue to do well in your soon to be announced new position.
Paul @ 4:03
Shhhhhhhh….
I wonder what would happen if women in the advertising industry just decided to stop working for the Boys Clubs. The places would fall apart and it would serve them right. Clients should start paying attention to this, too. Do they really want to work with agencies that don’t give women a fair go? Somehow, many clients have actually managed to have women rise to senior levels without their businesses falling apart. How come agencies can’t manage it?
Anonymous 7:56
Who said Saatchi’s didn’t give Simone a fair go? She hasn’t said that.
Strange. There’s many comments here about the ‘boys club’ and men.
It’s safe to assume women are writing them.
So who’s making an issue about the biological sex of an employee?- the women are!
I, as a man, could give a crap less if my boss or work partner was male of female as long as they were talented and bright.
I don’t know this woman but have you considered she may have been moved on due to not performing up to expectations etc? or is it too easy to resort to the sex argument to vent your inner anger? Women clearly deserve every opportunity that is afforded to men, but The problem with feminists is that in seeking equality of opportunity they think they have to give up being feminine or else its a weakness. They seem afraid to be women. There is a difference between the sexes and that creates the balance. Holy crap it’s time for me to run down to bondi for a soy latte!
Some clarification here. The Australian Business News tells us:
“Her replacement as CEO, Mr Foley, has been with the agency group for 14 years, driving the success of its Wellington office before being handed the Malaysian and Singapore role.”
No, no, no people. The people who drove the success of Saatchi’s Wellington office in thosee famous days are James Hall, Kim Thorpe and Kim Wickstead.
The Australian is PR puffery and bullshit at it’s finest…calls into question all the other claims to fame in it.
If this note gets to John Foley…. great.
I am an old (way back) family and industry friend of Kim’s (Wickstead), hence the interest in Saatchi, thinking maybe he is still involved. I have an idea for a political/social issue if you want to say g’day.
Cheers
Warren Pickering