The New York headquarters of FCB recently saw its leadership team shrink by 1/3 with the departure of chief strategy officer Deb Freeman.
Two years ago, the IPG network announced that its new Manhattan C-suite would consist of CEO Karyn Rockwell, Freeman and chief creative officer Ari Halper. The latter two executives joined after spending several years at Grey.
Freeman came in the previous month, and the release cited her work in helping to turn Grey around after several years of disappointing returns.
Initially, word was that she would report to Lee Garfinkel—but he left the agency world the following month. She also worked with London-based global CSO Nigel Jones, who cited her “keen instinct for identifying consumer and cultural trends before they reach the tipping point.”
Today an FCB spokesperson confirmed that Freeman and the agency recently parted ways, indicating that she planned to move out of the New York area and wanted to spend more time with her children.
“We are actively searching for the best strategic leader that fits with our culture and look forward to sharing more when we have news,” the rep continued.
We have reached out to Freeman on social media and will update this post if she responds. According to her LinkedIn page, she is currently working as a brand and communications consultant.
Prior to joining Grey in 2006, Freeman was a freelance consultant partnering with brands like JetBlue, Armani Exchange, Kodak and Razorfish. She previously held positions at KBS and the Sterling Group.