Accounts

U.S. Army Marketing Executive Involved in McCann Conflict of Interest Controversy Retires

The investigation into the case continues

Caucasian returning soldier facing house — James Ortiz spent two decades in the Army's marketing department.Getty Images

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James Ortiz, a marketing director at the U.S. Army’s Army Marketing and Research Group (AMRG), has retired less than four months after Adweek broke news of an allegedly improper relationship between himself and an account executive at McCann Worldgroup, the Army’s agency of record.

The relationship occurred while McCann pitched to retain the Army’s marketing contract, which could be worth up to $4 billion over 10 years, according to the organization’s own estimates. The review is ongoing.