After fourteen years at Olson, Tom Fugleberg is “leaving” the Minneapolis-based agency. From what we’ve been told, he is now ready to focus on working in his recording studio, consulting and fatherhood. Fugleberg was most recently named chief brand officer at Olson after spending five years as ECD. After the jump, you can check out the memo that Olson CEO Kevin DiLorenzo sent to staff just a couple of hours ago.
“Fourteen years ago, a young and hungry Tom Fugleberg accepted a job at Olson + Company. He was part of a small cadre working closely with John and Cindy Olson.AdvertisementAs part of our founding team, Tom helped transform this agency from a handful of creative minds to a thriving community of hundreds of brand champions in Minneapolis, Chicago and Toronto. He put us on the map creatively, beginning with a head-turning “Who’s That?” Best of Show win in 1999 all the way through last year’s “best yet” wave of industry accolades in theOne Show, Applied Arts, How and The Obies. His strategic thinking has been a key ingredient in our impressive run of wins at the Effies. And, he’s been instrumental in attracting numerous Fortune 500 clients to our roster. It’s impossible to separate Tom from our incredible success as an agency.
That’s why it’s hard to say goodbye. Now that he’s helped launch the new Olson brand, Tom’s decided it’s time for what’s next. In his words, “It’s the seven year itch times two, and it’s time to start scratching.” As you might expect, Tom doesn’t want to make a big deal out of his departure – but, he’s kind of a big deal. I’ve begrudgingly agreed to keep things low key. That said, let’s make sure he doesn’t leave without sharing the laughs, handshakes, hugs and love he deserves. Tom’s last day will be Friday, September 9.
Best, Kevin”