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Droga5 calls in outside firm to investigate CCO Royer

Another day another suspension or worse. Late last year we predicted there would be a spate of such in the wake of Weinstein/#metoo and it’s happening, certainly in the US and UK. For students of such trends it will be interesting to see if it happens in, say, France.

We learn from Adweek that Droga5’s highly-rated and high profile CCO Ted Royer (below) is taking leave of absence while an outside firm – law firm presumably – conducts an investigation. Droga5 isn’t saying anything else, nor should it.

It’s not our job to judge such matters but one does wonder what will happen to these individuals after inquiries into (presumably) complaints have been resolved. If they’re cleared would there still be a future for them in the business? There’s no escaping the stain that there was an investigation.

I asked a top London agency manager recently what he would do if someone who had been dismissed elsewhere came to him for a job, a second chance if you like.

He said it depended on the circumstances but he thought a second chance, in some cases, was the right response. Although he admitted he hadn’t to confront this yet.

Given the activities in some agencies, the druggier ones anyway, it’s certainly a story that won’t go away. It could even result in a fairly significant talent drain from adland.

Update

D5 said yesterday: “Effective today, Droga5 New York has ended its employment relationship with Ted Royer, CCO. We are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all our employees. We are unable to comment further on personnel matters.”

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