The shake up at Dentsu Aegis Network continues with the announcement that Nigel Morris, chief strategy and innovation officer, will leave at the end of March.
Dentsu Aegis Network used to have two British heavyweights at the helm – with Morris working alongside CEO Jerry Buhlmann, who stepped down at the end of last year. There is no news of a replacement for Morris, who was also responsible for the group’s CSR strategy, focusing on improving the way it operates and makes a positive impact on society.
Morris said: “We have the right vision, the right strategy, the right capabilities and the right people in place so whilst this was not an easy decision, now felt like the right time for me to move on. I’d like to extend a huge and warm thank you to all my colleagues and clients, past and present, for making my career at Dentsu Aegis so rich, diverse and successful. I remain excited about the industry, about the role that agencies play and believe the opportunity for Dentsu Aegis Network to be a force for positive change will become even more powerful.”
Morris, like Buhlmann, has a media background and has had a long run at Dentsu Aegis, growing his own role as the network grew. Morris was CEO at Isobar before taking the same role at Aegis Media North America in 2009, and then adding EMEA region to his role in 2012.
Dentsu Aegis is now run globally by an American, Tim Andree, who is executive chairman and CEO. He said: “I’d like to thank Nigel for his commitment to Dentsu Aegis over the past 26 years. He has held a number of leadership roles across the business and has been instrumental in our own growth and that of our clients, to ensure their brands continue to win in the digital economy. More recently, he has helped us to define our future strategy and how we approach more progressive partnerships with our clients to help us deliver our vision to ‘innovate the way brands are built’. While we will all miss Nigel’s passion and inspiration, we respect his decision and wish him the best in the future.”
With Martin Sorrell’s move from global industry leader to start-up hustler, the UK’s role on the world stage seems to be diminishing. Can we blame Brexit for this too?