Two of Australia’s top advertising executives, Mark Coad and Leigh Terry, have left their respective roles as the Australian and APAC leaders of IPG Mediabrands following its takeover by rival Omnicom.
The pair were officially relieved of their duties yesterday, just before Omnicom announced sweeping changes to its creative agency business.
Coad’s role as IPG Mediabrands Australia CEO was always under threat once the dust had settled on Omnicom’s takeover of Interpublic.
Omnicom Media Group Australia is currently led by Kristiaan Kroon, who only recently was given the CEO job title.
Terry’s role as IPG Mediabrands APAC CEO was also under a cloud with Tony Harradine carrying out a similar role at Omnicom.
Coad is the chair of the Media Federation of Australia and one of the most respected (and liked) media agency leaders in the country.
Ironically, he was a pivotal figure in growing and leading Omnicom’s media agencies OMD in the 2000s and PHD from 2012.
In 2020, Coad left Omnicom, where he spent most of his career, to take the reins of IPG Medibrands, an organisation he has led for the past five years.
In a LinkedIn post, Coad said: “It has been a big news week which marks the end of an incredible chapter. I’ve enjoyed my (nearly) 6 years at Mediabrands and I deeply appreciate the support of the industry and the wonderful team of people I’ve had the privilege to lead. I’m looking forward to cooling my jets over Summer and planning my next chapter.
“I’ve had an outpouring of messages of support that I’m genuinely grateful for – from clients, media partners, industry friends and the teams I worked with. I am looking forward to connecting with you all. We are part of a great industry that I’ve always been immensely proud of and I’m not done with it yet!”
B&T produced a two-part feature on the life and career of Mark Coad last year.
Terry is also an Omnicom veteran and close friend of Coad and former Onicom Media Group boss Peter Horgan. He served as CEO of Omnicom Media Group Australia and New Zealand, and was previously managing director at OMD Australia alongside Peter Horgan.
“With the merger of IPG Mediabrands into Omnicom, I’ll now be leaving the business, but not the industry,” he said.
“I want to thank our people, clients and partners for a chapter I’m incredibly proud of. Leading this team has been a privilege, and I’m grateful for the trust and support shown throughout my time here.
“I’ll be taking some time out before considering my next chapter, and I leave with deep appreciation for the work we’ve done together.”
Neither Coad or Omnicom would comment on news of his departure.
