LONDON: Ogilvy is on the hunt for a European president following the departure of Paul Philpotts, who left on January 21 to become a partner at financial PR agency Square Mile Communications. Philpotts had been in the position for less than two years.
LONDON: Ogilvy is on the hunt for a European president following
the departure of Paul Philpotts, who left on January 21 to become a
partner at financial PR agency Square Mile Communications. Philpotts had
been in the position for less than two years.
According to Ogilvy president and CEO Bob Seltzer, Philpotts’ departure
came as a surprise. ’It’s not something that we would have liked to have
happened,’ said Seltzer. However, he added that the agency was
well-positioned to continue without a European president on a temporary
basis, since Philpotts created stronger leadership at a local level by
bringing in Donna Zurcher to head the agency’s UK operation in February
1999.
Philpotts said that his decision to leave the agency was based on the
opportunity to become a partner at a smaller firm that he could help
grow, particularly since he spent the last 15 years at large
international agencies such as Ogilvy, Burson-Marsteller, Shandwick and
Hill & Knowlton. ’I’m not sure if the timing suits Ogilvy, but it worked
for me,’ said Philpotts.
Seltzer was unsure when the agency would appoint a new European
president, but said that he is expecting to hire someone from outside
the firm.
’The president of Europe for Ogilvy needs to be a visionary to help us
stay ahead of the curve,’ said Seltzer. ’This person needs to know how
to serve clients, promote product development, look after global
business and make sure we train and grow our people.’
