ECD Michael Canning Leaves Leo Burnett

By Patrick Coffee 

Michael CanningThis morning we learned that EVP/ECD Michael Canning is no longer with Leo Burnett New York.

Canning spent four years at the agency’s Manhattan office after he and his creative partner Kieran Antill were recruited from its operations in their native Australia by global Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutssel in 2011. The two helped build Leo Burnett New York alongside Jay Benjamin (who recently moved to Saatchi & Saatchi and made news this week for shuffling the creative deck there).

Canning has more than a decade of agency experience under his belt, writing copy for Lowe Hunt and BMF before moving to Leo Burnett Sydney. He has also been a keynote speaker/judge at several festivals in addition to taking home 39 Cannes Lions to date.

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In a 2012 blog post, Canning and Antill elaborate on the work they’ve done together and discuss producing the Off-Broadway play 8 Million Protagonists. During the interview, Canning notes that a great deal of his creative inspiration comes from “spending [his] teenage years as an obsessed skateboarder.”

In the wake of Canning’s departure, Antill has been named Managing Partner of LBNY; he will serve as the creative lead for the office.

We hear that Canning is headed to 72andSunny, but the agency has yet to confirm that fact. Updates as we receive them.

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