Carmichael Lynch Names McHugh CCO

NEW YORK Peter McHugh, executive creative director and partner at 180 in Amsterdam, will join Interpublic Group's Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis as chief creative officer and managing partner, effective Oct. 1.McHugh, 47, succeeds 25-year agency veteran Jack Supple in the lead creative post at Carmichael, which has estimated billings of $325 million. Supple, 52, will continue as chairman and managing partner. "[Carmichael Lynch has] done a lot of great work in the past, and they want to do better and more. That's my challenge," said McHugh. "One of the [draws] is that they have really interesting accounts, like Porsche, Harley Davidson, Gibson guitars, as a base for more creative work. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up." McHugh will join the agency's management team, which includes Supple, president John Colasanti, chief financial officer Mark Feriancek and chief executive officer Lee Lynch. McHugh's direct reports will include executive creative director Jim Nelson, executive design director Bill Thorburn, and Interactive and direct creative director Bruce Marsh. "It just feels like the right time to add heat to the whole place. We've got some good things going on right now," said Supple, pointing to the agency's new-business record this year, which includes wins in reviews for Jack Link's beef jerky and Peterbilt trucks. "I thought it would be a good time to dump a little gas on the fire." Colasanti said, "[Carmichael Lynch] has a real interesting mix of people who have been here a long time and new people who bring in a new perspective. Peter is the most prime example of that. He's worked all over the place and brings a really rich perspective to the agency." McHugh joins the shop after nearly three years in Amsterdam, where he worked on 180's global Adidas business, which is shared with TBWA Worldwide, among other accounts. Leaving the agency to return to the U.S. at a time when 180's creative endeavors are being recognized internationally was not an easy decision to make, said McHugh. The agency won three gold Lions at Cannes for its Adidas work in June and garnered the third position in the International Advertising Festival's "Agency of the Year" competition. "It was a melancholy decision. We've put a lot of work into it to put it at the level that it's at right now. In that sense, it's hard to walk away," said McHugh. "The good news is I'm leaving a lot of talented people in the place and a lot of good work in the pipeline." Prior to joining 180 in late 2001, McHugh was a group creative director at Fallon, Minneapolis, where he worked on the Nordstrom, Miller Brewing, Lee Jeans, Citibank and Holiday Inn accounts.

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Carmichael Lynch Names McHugh CCO

Eleftheria Parpis

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