New biz whizz Alex Lubar replaces Zaid Al-Zaidy as head of McCann London

Mark Lund, a founder of DLKW and then Now and a former boss of the Government’s COI, has been CEO of McCann Worldgroup for 15 months now and nothing much seems to have happened. McCann Worldgroup includes a gaggle of marketing services companies as well as the main McCann ad agency.

Now Lund has made his first big move: London agency CEO Zaid Al-Zaidy is leaving after two years in the role to be succeeded by Alex Lubar, currently McCanns’ global CMO based in New York. Al-Zaidy is reported to be setting up a new venture.

McCann Worldgroup CEO Harris Diamond says: “As CMO, Alex’s multidiscipline approach to helping our clients navigate the complexities of the marketing business today and finding solutions to the challenges facing their brands has led to terrific opportunities for us and our clients. Becoming CEO of our growing London agency is the natural evolution of the job Alex has been doing globally with both new and existing clients.”

Lund says: “Zaid has done a tremendous job of leading the change agenda at McCann London and he leaves behind a hungry, modern, creative agency. But we understand his desire to do something new and we wish him the very best in the future.”

Well these things happen. Lund seems content with his creative directors, Lolly Thomson and Rob Doubal (pictured, with Lubar, centre), who also enjoy the title of ‘president.’ Al-Zaidy joined McCann from TBWA London where he was chief strategy officer, top planner in old language. It’s often difficult for planners to transition to CEOs as they’re usually the go-to people for big clients with problems and it’s hard to juggle both roles.

Lubar, a Brit, joined McCann in 2012 as CMO North America where he helped to win the United States Postal Service, Lockheed Martin, Zurich Insurance and Jose Cuervo. In 2014 he was promoted to CMO of McCann Worldgroup in which role he added Microsoft and RB (Reckitt Benckiser) business.

McCann, owned by Interpublic, has stabilised under Diamond who took over from another Brit Nick Brien whose hard driving style deterred a number of clients. At its best McCann, still one of the biggest agency networks in the world, is a new business machine. Lubar’s brief will surely be to get McCann London moving on the new business front.