McCann CEO Nic Taylor has resigned her position and will return to a new global role at DDB.
Taylor was CEO of DDB Sydney before being poached for the McCann role in April last year.
In her new role, Taylor will be based in Barcelona, as CEO of DDB’s C14torce.
Taylor will lead C14torce and Spanish car marque’s SEAT partnership, reporting directly to Worldwide CEO Wendy Clark and EMEA CEO Pietro Tramontin.
C14torce won the SEAT business in 2016. Since 2017, the agency has grown from 100 employees in seven countries to 225 employees across 11 markets worldwide.
Taylor’s decision to take up the new role was, in part, to be closer to her family in the UK.
Prior to McCann, Taylor was the CEO of DDB Sydney and worked at the agency for seven years, joining as managing partner for Volkswagen Australia.
During her tenure at McCann, Taylor brought in a number of new leaders, led in Sydney by the trio of Hazelle Klønhammer, managing director; Darren Spiller, chief creative officer; and Fran Clayton, chief strategy officer, along with Georgie Pownall, managing director of McCann Melbourne.
Taylor said of her new role: “I have worked in the Australian advertising industry for over 20 years and have loved every minute of it. I have also imagined a day when I would take the step to work overseas, and this opportunity to lead a global agency back with DDB, combined with a strong desire to be closer to UK family, felt like the right choice to make.
“While I wish that my time at McCann was longer and there was a way of avoiding letting people down, I am leaving at a time when our agency is buzzing with a renewed sense of purpose and belief. I’ll miss my dear friend and partner in crime Fran, but I know that she’ll continue our legacy together with Daz, Haze, Georgie, Rob and all the great humans at McCann Australia. It was a privilege to serve them and their wonderfully loyal clients.”
Clark added: “We are delighted to have Nicole join us for the next phase in the C14 story. The agency is experiencing tremendous growth and Nicole is a transformational and contemporary leader who will shape both meaning and culture to remain the best possible partner for the SEAT brand worldwide.”
Tramontin said: “Nicole has a clear vision and a dedication to the industry, which resulted in measurable growth for some of our biggest brands. We are very excited about her return to the network.”
