Spending twenty five years at one agency sounds almost impossible in modern advertising. But for Simon Grace, head of UM’s Australian Government partnership, it’s a reality.
The humble “Gracey” told B&T he was proud of hitting the milestone. But he also admitted that in today’s industry, he believes some younger industry folk might think working for the same agency for a quarter of a century is baffling.
“Some people probably look at me and think, what have you done with your life? You’ve just sat here for 25 years,” Grace laughed.
But spend five minutes with the long-time UM leader and you quickly realise that’s not quite how the story goes. While Grace has technically spent a quarter of a century within the same four walls, the world around him has changed constantly. Nine CEOs have come and gone, agencies have merged, split, rebranded and evolved and technology has transformed media beyond recognition.
Through it all, Grace has remained a constant at UM. Not because he is “lazy” or scared of change, but because 80 per cent of his time so far at the company has involved work that he deems as “motivating”. Namely, his 16 years working on the federal account and 20 on the government account.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Grace puts his longevity down to his old man Gerry Grace, who spent 16 years with Macca’s, rising to eventually become vice president and director of marketing.
Growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Simon was raised by a father who understood the value of commitment. Gerry was one of the pioneers behind McDonald’s in Australia, working on the fast food giant’s launch before eventually becoming its director of marketing.
The Grace family lived and breathed McDonald’s. Store openings became family outings. Business conversations happened around the dinner table. Work ethic was fed to Simon through demonstration.
“My father worked at McDonald’s for 16 years and I suppose I was just brought up with it,” Grace said.
That sense of loyalty and tenure stuck.
Long before he became one of UM’s most respected leaders, Grace began his working career at McDonald’s. But not in the marketing team with his father, but flipping burgers in the Brookvale restaurant.
He loved it. Though perhaps more so because it was over the road from Brookvale Oval.
Grace was just another Northern Beaches kid. A passionate rugby league fan, he grew up surrounded by Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles folklore.
He lived two doors down from club legend Geoff Toovey. His PE teacher was dual international Stephen Knight. So, when his shift finished at Macca’s he would rip off his apron and race to the Oval to watch his heroes.
Grace is a massive Survivor fan and has been trying to get on the show for the last 10 years!
Not quite the original brief
Grace has been a major asset to the advertising industry, but going down that field of work was never actually the plan.
For years, he wanted to become a police officer. He left school young and had to wait a year to meet the age requirement. Whilst not knowing what to do in the meantime he caught wind of a dispatch role at USP Needham in 1983. He landed the role and immediately “fell in love with the industry”.
From there, Grace built his way through the agency world. He worked across account service and media, spent time at Clemenger and DDB, and even stepped away from advertising entirely for five years to run Cash Converters franchises alongside his father.
That five year break from advertising was crucial for Grace as it taught him the art of negotiation.
“Too many people think negotiation is just about money. It’s not,” he said.
For Grace, the best relationships are built over years. They are built on respect, trust and a willingness to scratch each other’s back, even if it comes at a loss.
That philosophy has defined much of his UM career.
‘Making a difference to people’s lives’
Grace arrived at UM in 2000. And for 20 years of that time, he’s worked on the Federal and New South Wales Government accounts.
The work he has done for these accounts has resonated deeply with him. It’s often said that marketing isn’t saving any lives, but in Grace’s case, he often is.
Whether it is road safety, defence recruitment, public health or violence prevention, the outcomes matter.
“You are truly making a difference to people’s lives,” he said
No campaign demonstrated that more clearly than COVID.
While offices emptied and uncertainty swept across the country, Grace was among a small group still coming into UM’s offices to ensure critical health messaging reached Australians.
During COVID all other messaging was practically “pulled” and the key message was centred around health. This involved making sure people were getting vaccinated.
Looking back, it remains one of the proudest periods of his career. This is because he was able to help Aussies manage a tough period, whilst also supporting UM’s struggling media partners during one of the industry’s darkest periods.
While advertising dollars disappeared across the market, government campaigns continued. Grace made sure those investments were spread as thoughtfully as possible.
In his own words that “money coming through the door was helping keep the lights on”.
Top bloke
Whilst chatting to Grace one thing really stuck with B&T. And that is how much of a personable guy he is.
Inside UM there is something known as “Gracey’s Wall”. It celebrates long-serving employees and recognises the contribution of people who have dedicated years of their lives to the business.
All former IPG Mediabrands employees who had made a significant contribution for ten or more years to the Aussie holdco arm was rewarded with a plaque on “Gracey’s Wall”.
His deep care and love for his colleagues stems much deeper than just the wall. Every year, Grace calls them on their work anniversaries. Not just the milestone years. But for all of them.
It’s his first port of call when he gets into the office, and he manages to stay on top of it by checking an employee list that was given to him by HR.
He does this because he believes work anniversaries deserve to be celebrated just like birthdays.
Then there are the newspapers.
For more than two decades, Grace has quietly collected newspapers from around Australia to give colleagues on the birth of their children.
The purpose is giving the child and his family a snapshot to look back on of what the world looked like during that special day.
He estimates he has done it for more than 200 people. Maybe more.
The industry has changed dramatically since Grace first sat behind a typewriter planning television schedules. But one thing that hasn’t changed is his love for the industry and his personable and kind nature.
Twenty-five years on, Simon Grace is an absolute legend of UM and is congratulated on a massive feat.
But he’s still still trying to get on Survivor.
