Dentsu Mcgarrybowen shuffles global chief creative and strategy roles

Dentsu Mcgarrybowen is changing the roles of key global executives as it reorganises to a more simplified structure. Global chief creative officer Ned Crowley and global chief strategy Jennifer Zimmerman, both based in the US, will not continue in their current roles into next year, but will consult with Dentsu part-time to ensure a proper transition with planning and clients.

In a statement to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Dentsu says the changes are necessary to help the agency work from a truly integrated model with cross-network talent and capabilities for clients. 

"As part of this reorganization, roles are changing, and while Ned and Jen were offered roles within the new structure, each has decided to work with us in a different way," the statement said. "They have agreed that a portion of their time next year will go to consulting for Dentsu on key clients and opportunities."  

Dentsu notes that the agency's global chairman, Gordon Bowen, will continue to serve in a global chief creative officer capacity, but has not yet clarified whether the global CSO role would be re-assigned.  

Dentsu said care has been taken to ensure a seamless transition for clients. 

The agency statement added: "Jen and Ned have enabled this agency and now they are enabling the next generation of the amazing talent, which they developed, to lead it through its next phase of growth." The agency is grateful that they have been integral to ensuring the right talent is in the right roles to carry Dentsu Mcgarrybowen forward, the agency added.

The announcement comes one day after Dentsu reported a 14% revenue decline in Q3 and promised to consolidate its international operations from 160 agencies globally into six main entities.

Editor's note: This article has been edited to remove a section of quotation Dentsu says it gave in error and was factually inaccurate.