Adam Lee exits McCann Sydney as managing director
Lee was the MD at McCann Sydney for three years
The managing director of McCann Sydney, Adam Lee, has exited the agency after three years in the role.
Joining McCann Sydney in 2015 from his previous role as TBWA’s group head, Lee’s departure is part of the agency’s ambition “to become Australia’s most exciting creative agency” under the new leadership of Nicole Taylor.
Lee is exiting the agency as part of a restructure
Taylor joined McCann as its CEO from DBB Sydney in April where she was its CEO for for less than a year. Taylor replaced McCann’s former CEO Ben Lilley who left the agency to relocate to France.
Also moving from DDB to McCann in a double defection was Fran Clayton, who is now McCann’s national chief strategy officer after spending five years at the helm of DDB Sydney’s strategy division.
Taylor said in a statement to Mumbrella: “These changes are indicative of our ambition to become Australia’s most exciting creative agency. You achieve that goal by focussing on talent and creating a team that has infectious chemistry and lives up to the highest standards.
“We have amazing people at McCann that I really believe in but we also need an injection of new and different talent to reach our dream. It requires me to make tough calls but I can’t be afraid to make them, and I will do so with compassion and humanity.”
Taylor thanked Lee for his three years at the agency adding he had been “instrumental” to the success of the agency.
“I believe his departure is reflective of a new era for McCann Australia and speaks to the rejuvenated agency culture Fran [CSO Frances Clayton] and I are building. We are hugely passionate about creating a team of the most talented, diverse and courageous people who we hope will make the work of their careers with us.”
In other changes for the agency, McCann has made three new appointments to its Melbourne team hiring Andrew Woodhood as a creative director, Cinnamon Darvall as head of broadcast and Jacquelyn Whelan as an account director
Taylor says the agency will announce Lee’s replacement in the next few months.
“I joined McCann Australia in July with a mandate to make the agency as great as McCann New York. I plan on shaking things up just enough to get the agency, and our clients to an unprecedented level of brilliance.
“For this to happen I need to assemble a team of exceptional humans who are dedicated to the pursuit of creative excellence, who don’t settle for the 7 out of 10 and who are not driven by self-interest. This is the future I want for our clients,” Taylor added.
Lee declined to make a formal comment but confirmed his departure.
While I have never worked directly with Nicole, like most of the industry, I have always held her in high regard. However, the statement from her is disrespectful and tasteless.
Almost every line incorporates a hurtful and unnecessary swipe at Adam. I am sure Nicole sees it as a ‘public display of the new ambition of McCann’, but I can assure you, the public thinks it says much more about her as a leader than anything else.
What a weird press release – unless it’s really badly written it reads like a not-so subtle attempt to sabotage someone’s reputation more than anything else.
This is meant to reflect positively on a new era of passion and brilliance yadayada…well, I’m not sure it succeeds. It reeks of power, politics, grandstanding, over-inflated ego and a misplaced sense of importance.
” … an injection of new and different talent to reach our dream. It requires me to make tough calls but I can’t be afraid to make them, and I will do so with compassion and humanity.”
Whoever writes Nicole Taylor’s copy – it might be her of course – should be applauded.
Fine writing indeed.
The above posts are very strange. Nicole acknowledged the contribution very kindly but unlike other releases where we always see between the lines, she has chosen to be transparent and honest . I think it s a great release. She clearly has a job to do and looks like she is doing it !!
“For this to happen I need to assemble a team of exceptional humans who are dedicated to the pursuit of creative excellence, who don’t settle for the 7 out of 10 and who are not driven by self-interest.”
I think Nicole will be remembered by these words far more than Adam. Good luck mate, you did the best you could with a horrible hand.
“I will do so with compassion and humanity”
then
“I need to assemble a team of exceptional humans who are dedicated to the pursuit of creative excellence, who don’t settle for the 7 out of 10 and who are not driven by self-interest.”
Nicole has a massive task on her hands. I applaud her courage in saying what she thinks.
Is she just saying what others in the industry are not, is that what’s driving reaction.
Sometimes it feels as if people are incredibly de-sensitised to the realities of Australia businesses.
What we should be focusing on is seeing people for their potential and not who they are, Australia business needs to get it’s act together
it was always going to happen. Both McCann offices are small and Sydney was never going to be large enough to support a CEO and an MD
my prediction…’females only’ will be the recognisable hiring policy for Nicole moving forward
You need to get your punctuation together
That is a poorly thought post Nostradamus! Wow !
Allowing Adam to resign and leave graciously is how you demonstrate compassion and humanity.
The release was unnecessary. It should have been saved to announce the new hire.
you might find it offensive (sorry if so), but it wasn’t poorly thought out and let’s see how accurate it turns out to be
I think its more to do with the character assassination of Adam and spinning it so that it can be used as a red-letter day for change and positivity, when the problems were higher up than him and still persist.
This release should have just been thanking him for 3 years of service and celebrating his achievements. Not throwing him under the bus to cover for others, and making that 7 out of 10 comment (wouldn’t have been intended for adam, but it should it never have been part of this release to make that context possible).
Best of luck to Nic and Fran though, they walked into a pretty poor situation, and I doubt they were told the full story when accepting the gig, so these moves can’t be easy. Glass Cliff.
Well said Peta
The language in here feels like it should have been kept in a closed door meeting, not sent out as a release. Fairly poor and immature judgement from a CEO who is by all accounts a great leader. They are basically defaming a former CEO, saying he was a “7 out of 10” and “driven by self-interest” is such poor wording. There is a time to be honest, and that’s to a person’s face in the departure meeting. But, the whole industry and then some don’t need to know your personal thoughts on someone. Seriously unprofessional.
What an incredibly ignorant thing to say. It’s clear her point is about talent, not gender.
Best to produce 4 or 5 sensationally creative and effective communication campaigns for major spending clients BEFORE crowing about what she intends to do with the Sydney office. Also on what planet is McCann New York a great agency?!
I have never worked with Nicole. And after that press release, I never want to.
There is no compassion or humility to this press release. McCann and Taylor are both worse for it.
Shameful comments and a slur on a great guy. Not impressed and does not reflect well on the agency and its leader
All this press release has done it make Nicole look like the terrible person. Ambition is one thing but letting a person leave with their dignity and reputation in tact is professional and generous. But I ask now how will Nicole and Co ever get good talented humans to work for her now she’s shown her true hand. It was truely not necessary for a CEO to behave so poorly.
I always knew I was getting no more than 7/10, so when can I except my 30% refund Nicole?
Whatever happened to ‘take the high road’? When they go low, we go high? A most unnecessary and ungracious summary of Adam’s contribution to McCann. You’re much better than that Nicole! The world is now waiting for Ms/Mr 10/10.
Don’t know the guy, don’t know if he was good or bad but the press release shows a distinct lack of class and paints both Nicole and McCann in a bad light. shame.
Dear McCann employees, please let Nichole know that PR’ing Adam’s departure as a step forward is deeply unkind.
Like many of my peers I’m seriously hacked off at the treatment of Adam. People often hide behind the notion of being honest when the real trick is having the ability to frame issues in a sensitive manner. Indeed, it’s clear the new leadership at McCann isn’t over burdened by good manners.
This press release is framed in such an unjust manner. McCann Australia’s reputation has just taken a serious dive – explain how creativity is unleashed by defaming a leaders reputation? Sounds like a personal vendetta has turned into professional assassination. Terrible.
I think that McCann sounds worse off here than they portray Adam to be. Who would write a press release like that and in the next line say it was with compassion and humility? Flaming her own saturated ego and “self-interests” clearly. I would not go anywhere near this agency now with this person at the helm. Disgusting.
Nicole and the team at McCaan should hang their heads low in shame. A great leader would never boost their own ego or success at the expense of someone else and their career. I have personally worked with Adam and can tell you he would never treat any of his employees with such disrespect. You own him a personal apology Nicole. Allow a man to leave gracefully and thank him for his hard work and dedication over the last 3 years rather than implying his performance wasn’t up to your standards….
Poor use of words with a complete lack of compassion and humanity. Even the word exit is a poor choice. The writing in this send off could only be viewed as defamatory and demeaning in an underhanded way.
Adam and Nic are both good people – sorry to see these comments. They both deserve better.
If you [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]. Taylor clearly made the best judgement call anyone could [Edited under Mumbrella’s comment moderation policy]
Exactly my thoughts. Anyone who has worked with Adam would realise exactly where she was coming from (and the culture she is trying to change no doubt).