Ad Agency Y&R New York Welcomes Its 16th CEO Since The Year 2000
That will make him the 16th person with the "CEO" title, of one sort of another, at Y&R's New York HQ offices since 2000.
Murray — who departs to become the new global CEO of DraftFCB — only held the North American job at Y&R since September 2011. At the time, David Sable, global CEO of Y&R, said Murray was "the last piece I needed" in his management team.
When Murray was given the additional title of CEO of Y&R New York, he said, "For me it's like coming home." That was just last year.
Since 2000, Y&R New York has lived through eight CEOs with "global" or "worldwide" responsibilities, and another eight executives with the titles such as "North American CEO" or "New York CEO."
In fairness, running the New York office is different from running the North American network, which is different from running the worldwide operating company. They are different jobs with different responsibilities. It's reasonable and common in the global agency holding company business to have different managers at the different levels.
But still, it's a lot of CEOs. Even if you only count the global CEOs, Y&R switches chiefs every two years.
Here's the list, as best as we can figure it. Please contact us if you know someone I've left out:
- 1993: Ed Vick becomes CEO of Y&R New York, the first of a number of senior roles he took at Y&R, of which at least two contain the CEO title.
- 1994 - 2000: Peter Georgescu was global CEO of Y&R.
- August 1999: Tom Bell becomes Y&R's global CEO, succeeding Peter Georgescu.
- October 2000: Tom Bell, CEO of the former Y&R Inc., and Peter Stringham, the North American CEO, both leave after the agency is acquired by WPP. Mike Dolan becomes worldwide CEO of "Y&R Group."
- October 2001: Ed Vick retires as global CEO. He is succeeded by Mike Dolan.
- February 2003: Michael Patti becomes CEO of Y&R New York.
- May 2003: Young & Rubicam worldwide CEO Mike Dolan steps down and is replaced by Ann Fudge.
- May 2006: Hamish McLennan becomes worldwide CEO. He replaces Ann Fudge.
- October 2006: Chris Jaques succeeds Gord McLean as North American CEO.
- January 2007: North American CEO Chris Jaques leaves after just three months in the role. Michael Patti also leaves as New York CEO.
- February 2007: Peter Stringham returns as CEO of Y&R Brands, the agency's umbrella body for its collection of agency brands.
- April 2008: Tom Sebok becomes North American CEO.
- March 2010: Jane Barratt arrives as Y&R New York's "president" and CEO
- February 2011: David Sable becomes Global CEO of Y&R, replacing Hamish McLennan
- July 2011: Tom Sebok replaces Jane Barratt as CEO of Y&R New York
- September 2011: Carter Murray becomes CEO of Y&R North America.
- February 2012: Carter adds New York CEO to his portfolio, replacing Sebok
- March 2013: Matt Anthony is appointed North America CEO to replace Carter Murray, who leaves for DraftFCB