Nick Emery’s misdemeanour that led to his abrupt sacking can finally be revealed.
The London-based Mindshare global CEO was given his marching orders last Thursday after an incident that WPP described as “inappropriate and offensive” and “a clear breach of the company’s code of conduct”.
And it appears the UK’s venerable The Sun newspaper has got to the bottom of Emery’s apparent crime.
According to the reports, Emery was on a lengthy Zoom call with colleagues when nature called. He excused himself to use the lavatory but continued filming himself “with his bottom out while having a wee,” according to eyewitnesses.
Apparently it was all in jest, however, colleagues described the “prank” as “juvenile”, “idiotic”, “schoolboy” and “lavatorial”.
Despite claims Emery bared his backside in the footage, The Sun’s report casts some doubt over whether it actually did happen.
Apparently, one person on the Zoom call was offended by Emery’s actions who alerted WPP bosses who, after an investigation, sacked Emery from the agency he formed back in 1997.
A “source” telling The Sun: “Nick clearly didn’t think this through. It was a spontaneous prank gone horribly wrong.
“Other top Mindshare bods on the call got offended and made immediate complaints to WPP top brass,” the source said.
Emery has not publicly commented on his sacking, however, a close friend has called his dismissal “a massive overreaction”.
Following Emery’s departure it was announced that GroupM CEO Christian Juhl would take on the role of interim CEO at the agency until a replacement was found.
Commenting on Emery’s removal, Juhl said in a statement that GroupM and its agencies “believe everyone should experience an inclusive and respectful workplace culture”.
He added: “Inappropriate and offensive behavior is not tolerated in our company, and when we see any employee breach our code of conduct, we take swift action.
“Mindshare is made up of thousands of dedicated professionals who deliver our promise of making advertising work better for people around the world. We know they share our vision and values and are focused on the future of the business and the needs of their clients,” Juhl said.
