Details are still a little hazy on this, but we have at least received confirmation that Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai and its management team will be going their separate ways. From what we’ve been told, W+K Shanghai managing director Jason White, who’s served in said role for two-and-a-half years (marking his second stint in said office), is leaving because he’s heading back to the States to take up an undisclosed job with Beats by Dre in LA. As a result of White’s decision, his creative partners (we’re checking in on exact names) have decided that they wanted to move on as well. The departures aren’t immediate, though, as the management team will actually be leaving towards the end of the year.
As for White, the exec has had a nine-year relationship with W+K, first as management supervisor on Nike before heading assume his first role at W+K Shanghai as head of account management on Coca-Cola and Heineken. We’re sure will more details will emerge on the departures as 2014 progresses and will keep you posted when they do.
Update: White’s creative partners we alluded to above above are eight-year W+K vet/ECD Achilles Li and ECD Michael Simons. who’s been with the agency’s Shanghai office for three years. We’ve been told that W+K is actively working on replacements for all involved, but no word on when an announcement will be made as of yet. Not sure when we will make an announcement.