Droga5 Has Placed CCO Ted Royer on Leave and Hired a Firm to Investigate Him

A Droga5 representative said Tuesday that the New York agency has hired an outside firm to investigate chief creative officer Ted Royer and that Royer has taken a leave of absence. The agency declined to comment on the nature of the investigation.

Droga5 employees told Adweek that the agency held departmental meetings last week to discuss the matter. CEO Sarah Thompson sent an email to all staff members this morning about the independent investigation.

“As a follow up to the departmental meetings I recent held and further Q&A sessions, we want to assure you all that we have been working with an independent firm that we have engaged to assist us with our investigation,” Thompson wrote.

She then encouraged staff to bring “any concerns or complaints” to the attention of managers or the human resources department, adding, “We are also in the process of engaging an outside resource to whom you can also voice your concerns.”

Before joining Droga5 soon after its inception in 2006, Royer worked at agencies like Wieden + Kennedy and spent time in Singapore and Argentina. During his tenure at Droga5, he has led creative on some of the shop’s most acclaimed campaigns for clients such as Johnsonville, Newcastle and The New York Times. He has also won many of advertising’s top accolades and served on the juries of such events as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Royer has not responded to an email seeking comment. The duration of his leave is unclear at this time.