Sue Higgs, ECD at Dentsu Creative UK, is the latest in a stream of departures from the agency, which is now looking for a replacement ECD. She joined Dentsu McGarry Bowen in March 2021 as joint chief ECD, and stuck around when the agency was folded into Dentsu Creative a year later.
Higgs leaves only three months after CCO Caroline Pay and CSO Theo Izzard-Brown went, also without jobs to go to. Dentsu Creative CEO Jessica Tamsedge, who joined from McCann last June, is pretty much the only one of Dentsu’s high profile London ad agency recruits to remain in place, alongside Ete Davis who joined from Engine (now House 337) in May 2022. 
Dentsu restructured earlier this year around three disciplines – brand, experience, and connected content – and since then has been looking elsewhere to fill senior roles.This year, Annette Male has joined as chief business and client officer from VML APAC; media CEO Jenny Bullis arrived from Meta; and chief experience officer Indy Saha from Ideo.
Higgs has already had 138 supportive comments on her LinkedIn post, which read: “Just a wee update for a wet Wednesday morn, I am no longer at Dentsu Creative. I loved my time there, but most of all I loved the people. That creative department is dynamite and so talented, I’m proud and in awe of every single one of them. (Most of whom will not get rid of me that easily.) Anyways, am on the cusp of a new adventure incoming. And I am going to write that book. Onwards…”
CEO Tamsedge said: “As we continue to evolve and grow at Dentsu Creative UK, we are organising ourselves for the growth we are seeing across social, influencer and connected content in line with our commitment to building brands for what’s next.
“As part of this realignment, we have had to reshape some of our leadership to better support these key growth areas. This includes the departure of our executive creative director, Sue Higgs, who has been an invaluable member of our leadership team for the past three and a half years. We thank Sue for her exceptional contributions to the creative department and wider business and wish her the very best.”
Global client ECDs Darren Urquhart and Tom Smith, who both joined from Ogilvy New York two years ago and are now based in London, will lead the UK creative output until a new ECD is found.
Higgs was previously at Grey for more than four years and has also worked at Havas, Publicis, Ogilvy, M&C Saatchi and Lowe Howard-Spink.
