Great Scott
The industry was left somewhat surprised today with news that Scott Whybin, the chairman, regional creative director and founder of WhybinTBWA Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland has resigned from the agency after 21 years.
Whybin told Australian trade publication Mumbrella that he plans to open a new non-traditional agency, but would not elaborate on further details at this stage. He says that despite an already prestigious career, he believes that he still has a “dozen good years left” in him.
Last year, Whybin was inducted into the AdNews Hall of Fame for an exceptional career spanning over 30 years, including being the youngest ever creative director at The Campaign Palace at age 26. While at The Campaign Palace, Whybin wrote five of the Top Ten Australian ads of the last twenty-five years, including Dunlop Tyres and ‘Sic’em Rex’ for Antz Pantz.
Under Whybin’s leadership, WhybinTBWA has also enjoyed extensive success over the years, continuing recently with the agency being crowned the 2015 Australian Network of the Year by AdNews.
Keith Smith, TBWA president of international global markets says: “Scott has helped to nurture and develop a significant number of the most talented and successful people working in the industry today, many of them are still working at WhybinTBWA”.
Smith said that the other leadership positions at the agency in both Australia and New Zealand remain unchanged.
“Paul Bradbury has been with WhybinTBWA for over ten years, is the regional chief executive officer across Australia and New Zealand and has full responsibility for the region,” Smith said. “[And] Kimberlee Wells has been with us for over four years and is the chief executive officer of WhybinTBWA Melbourne, and Andrew Scott has been with us nine years and is the chief executive officer of WhybinTBWA Auckland.”
Leaving media
Vevo Country manager Brendan Muller has left the music and entertainment platform to join property investment company Erksine + Owen as a portfolio director.
StopPress understands Vevo has initiated the recruitment process but is yet to announce a replacement for Muller, who launched the local arm of the company in November 2014.
Muller’s decision to leave Vevo brings a close to his long media career, which has also included stints at Yahoo, APN and The Radio Network.
He says that he has been a longtime property investor, and the timing seemed right to move into this space on a full-time basis given the current property conditions in the local market.
Muller started at Erksine + Owen at the beginning of April.
Taking the lead
Bauer Media Australia has appointed Nick Chan as its new chief executive, following last year’s resignation of David Goodchild.
Chan has worked at some of Australia’s biggest media companies for more than three decades. Most recently he was chief operating officer at Seven West Media and prior to that ran Pacific Magazines for ten years. He started his publishing career at ACP Magazines, which Bauer Media acquired in 2012, where he worked for 18 years rising to become chief operating officer. He also chaired the magazine industry’s peak body, Magazine Publishers of Australia.
Interim chief executive Andreas Schoo, who has held the fort since the departure of Goodchild, welcomed the arrival of Chan.
“We are delighted Nick is joining Bauer Media to head our Australia and New Zealand operations. His understanding of the media market and leadership experience is extensive and he brings that knowledge to Bauer at an exciting time in the company’s development,” Schoo said in an official statement.
“Having run media businesses for many years Nick is aware of the challenges facing the industry and publishers in particular and he has shown great strategic insight into how to best manage this evolution. As a multi-platform media business spanning magazines, digital and live experience I believe he is best placed to ensure the future prosperity of Bauer Media.”
In addition to Bauer Media, Chan will oversee digital division Bauer Xcel Media, content business BauerWorks, Bauer Trader Media and Bauer Books.
Chan is expected to start in the role mid year after completing his current commitments.
Zero percent alcohol
Frucor has appointed Morgan Loveridge as the new brand manager for Mountain Dew.
She joins the company from a three-year stint at Lion, where she held various roles spanning digital, communications, customer service, wine and trade marketing.
This appointment follows on from the departure of Sam Forrest, who took up the post of brand manager of DB Breweries’ international premium range, which includes Heineken, Sol, Tiger and Desperados.
Loveridge will start her new role on Monday.
