'Shock To The System' For McLean In First Week As CEO

It was a brutally short honeymoon for Gord McLean, the new North American CEO at WPP Group's Young & Rubicam.Last Monday, his first day in the newly created post, he met with WPP CEO Martin Sorrell to review 2005 financials. A big chunk of Tuesday was spent with executives of longtime client Colgate in New York. And then Wednesday arrived with a thud: Sony Electronics fired the agency off its $100 million account, and Ford Motor Co.'s Jaguar cut Y&R, the incumbent, from its $100 million global creative review. A day later, the 16-year Y&R veteran tried to sound upbeat in the face of what he described as a "shock to the system." "I would like to think of these as the exceptions as opposed to the rule. But we took our eye off the ball," he said of the two accounts. McLean, a native of Canada, sees the biggest problem at Y&R as a failure to consistently deliver on worldwide CEO Ann Fudge's promise of "one Y&R"—bringing together various offices and disciplines to meet client needs. "The single most important thing you can do is get things out of your way and deliver for your clients," said McLean, 50, who had been president of global client services at the larger group of agencies known as Y&R Brands. He will continue in that role. Described by colleagues and key clients as likeable, a straight-shooter and good listener, McLean is charged with re-energizing the six offices in North America, each now run by a managing director and united by a single P&L. The six managing partners now report to him instead of Fudge, who can now focus less on operations and more on clients. "North America is a very important part of Y&R, but I know we've got a strong leader," said Fudge. Sources said the re-establishment of a North American management team (the agency is also expected to name regional heads for creative and business development) may be a prelude to more changes at the top. In fact, given other client losses in the past year (Burger King, Computer Associates) and relatively few wins, some insiders expect WPP to replace Fudge, a former client executive who took the reins in May 2003 and has struggled to find her footing. Fudge could end up in a senior role at WPP, sources said. The agency and parent company declined to comment. Fudge said she selected McLean because "client partners and colleagues respect him immensely." Worldwide creative director Michael Patti said he appreciates McLean's directness. "What I like about him is what you see is what you get," Patti said. "He's a very straightforward guy." Emilio Alvarez-Recio, vp of global advertising at Colgate, added: "He's a doer. He's a tough executive, and at the same time, he has a very large human touch. But he's no pushover." Since 1995, McLean, the son of a factory worker, has been the top account executive on Colgate. In 2003, he added similar duties on ChevronTexaco. "He makes sure that our account is humming," said Helen Clark, manager of corporate brand and reputation at ChevronTexaco in San Francisco. "He's got a lot of integrity. He has never tried to sell me or spin me on anything. He truly is a great partner."

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'Shock To The System' For McLean In First Week As CEO

Andrew McMains

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