McCann NY Terminates Chief Creative Officer and Head of Growth Positions Exclusively
McCann New York's top creative and growth positions are being eliminated as part of a restructuring, placing regional oversight under North American leadership. According to an internal memo obtained by ADWEEK, Chief Creative Officer Shayne Millington and Head of Growth Suresh Raj will depart the agency, with Millington leaving in mid-May and Raj at the end of April.
The changes aim to consolidate leadership under regional executives and prioritize roles directly responsible for delivering creative and strategic work. The memo explains, "Our goal of partnering with clients to help them find their truth and tell it well means our leaders and teams need to be closer to the work. To achieve this, we need to simplify our structure to reduce layers of leadership so that we can put more emphasis on roles that create the work." Millington, who led McCann New York to being the most awarded agency in the city at Cannes in 2023, will not be replaced.
Britt Nolan, who recently joined McCann from Leo Burnett, will oversee creative operations for North America, including the New York and Detroit offices. He will also join the agency's executive leadership team and work alongside Executive Creative Directors Leo Barbosa, Cuanan Cronwright, and Lance Parrish. Raj's responsibilities will be absorbed by Michelle Tang, McCann Worldgroup's North America Chief Growth Officer, who is returning to lead the New York growth team.
A McCann spokesperson confirmed the changes to ADWEEK, stating, "We are grateful for Shayne's leadership over the years and for all that she's done to help make McCann what it is today. We're excited for what's ahead with Britt at the creative helm, leading us into our next chapter." The spokesperson also added that Raj chose to depart on his own terms to pursue a new opportunity.
The leadership shakeup at McCann comes amidst business challenges, including high-profile client losses such as Verizon and MGM Resorts. The changes also coincide with Interpublic Group (IPG) preparing for its proposed merger with Omnicom, announced in December 2024. If completed, the deal would create the world's largest advertising holding company, generating $750 million in annual cost savings through operational consolidations and reductions in overlapping positions.
While specific impacts on McCann New York from the Omnicom-IPG merger are not detailed, potential implications include restructuring challenges, which could result in changes in organizational structures and talent allocation, and client relationships concerns, as high-profile client losses might be influenced by perceptions of reduced agility or increased complexity within a larger merged entity. However, the merger also offers the opportunity to provide clients with access to a wider range of services and global capabilities.
- The restructuring at McCann New York will consolidate leadership under regional executives, with a focus on positions directly responsible for delivering creative and strategic work.
- Britt Nolan, previously from Leo Burnett, will oversee creative operations for North America, joining McCann's executive leadership team and working alongside Executive Creative Directors Leo Barbosa, Cuanan Cronwright, and Lance Parrish.
- Michelle Tang, McCann Worldgroup's North America Chief Growth Officer, will absorb Suresh Raj's responsibilities and lead the New York growth team.
- Chief Creative Officer Shayne Millington and Head of Growth Suresh Raj will depart McCann, with Millington leaving in mid-May and Raj at the end of April.
- These changes aim to reduce layers of leadership, allowing more emphasis on roles that create the work, and the goal is to be closer to the work for better partnership with clients.
- The upcoming merger of Interpublic Group (IPG) and Omnicom, set to be completed in 2024, offers potential implications for McCann New York, including restructuring challenges, client relationship concerns, and the opportunity to provide clients with access to a wider range of services and global capabilities.
