Grey Group CEO/chairman Jim Heekin just announced a big leadership change at the agency this afternoon. Of course, we do have the memo, but the gist of it is that Tim Mellors, who’s history with Grey dates back to 1998 and who’s served worldwide creative director at the agency since 2007, is parting ways while Grey NY president/CCO Tor Myhren will assume the role of worldwide CCO of the agency network along with maintaining his management post in the Big Apple.
Anyways, Heekin’s memo, which includes memories of Mellors during his lengthy stay at Grey, is below. Read on:
“I wanted to share the news with you that Tim Mellors, Vice Chairman and Worldwide Creative Director of Grey Group, and the founder of our Grey Global Creative Council, has decided to leave while he’s on top since the word “retirement” is not in his vocabulary.
AdvertisementIn 2007, I charged Tim with the critical mission of raising Grey’s creative quality and profile around the world. What he has accomplished is the stuff of legend, surpassing everyone’s wildest expectations, and mostly, our own. Under his creative leadership, together we have built Grey into a vital, stimulating, confident, winning agency which is respected and increasingly feared by others.
Tim has been a unique, and inspirational, evangelist for Famously Effective work. He has identified and recruited world-class talent and mentored rising stars from Beijing to Rio. Ever the free spirit, he’s done it with passion, joy and humor.
Tim came into the Grey orbit in 1998 when we bought his successful agency, Mellors Reay, in London. After a sabbatical in 2003, we coaxed him back a year later as President and Chief Creative Officer of Grey North America, based in New York, before assuming his global responsibilities.
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Earlier in his career, he set London on fire at Saatchi & Saatchi, creating breakthrough work for British Airways, launching the Independent newspaper and catapulting Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives into power. Along the way, he worked at Publicis, GGT, FCB London, DDB and Lintas, amassing 15 Lions, 5 D&AD Pencils, the Grand Prix at the European Advertising Festival and serving on every major worldwide award jury.While rising to the pinnacle of our business, Tim has managed to be a magazine journalist, a commercial film director, a BBC TV host, a trained psychotherapist, renowned photographer, painter and poet and it’s only Wednesday.
One thing is sure, we will never see his like again. Please join me in thanking Tim for his vast contributions to Grey and wishing him much happiness as he conquers new worlds.
Importantly, I am very pleased to announce that Tor Myhren will assume the role of Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Grey, leading the Grey Global Creative Council, in addition to his management role at Grey New York.
Tor has played a pivotal role in the ongoing success story of our flagship, Grey New York. We have transformed our talent ranks, creative product, digital prowess and new business fortunes, achieving our sixth record year of financial and creative performance in 2013. In his new role, he will have the opportunity to evolve this culture of innovation across our global footprint.
A natural leader and team builder with an intuitive feel for work that captures pop culture imagination on a global scale, I’m confident he will build on the momentum we have achieved and help make us the undisputed leader in our industry.
Please give him your congratulations and full support as we take the next big leap.
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Regards,GREYgroup | Famously effective since 1917
Jim Heekin, Chairman & CEO”