The L.A. headquarters of 72andSunny said goodbye to a longtime staffer this week as Michelle McKinney announced that she would be stepping down from her position as director of partnerships and legal affairs.
McKinney confirmed that she resigned and that she will be moving to North Carolina to start a brand consultancy called Hailstorm to handle “modern business affairs” for clients.
“I decided it was time for me to move on,” she wrote, calling the cross-country shift “an exciting life change in the crazy evolving world of advertising.”
The outgoing executive spent two stints spanning nearly 8 years with the agency, where she handled contracts, licensing and other business matters.
Prior to joining the MDC Partners network for the second time in early 2013, she held similar positions at several major California agencies, including CP+B L.A., David&Goliath and Deutsch.
Her tenure also included major leadership changes. McKinney declined to elaborate on her decision, and a 72andSunny spokesperson declined to comment.
While the shop has recently won some notable pieces of business including 23andMe, it is one of several West Coast organizations to move through layoffs over the past few months, including two rounds related to the loss of the Infiniti account and the launch of production company Hecho Studios this May.
GCDs Matthew Curry and Galen Graham recently scored CCO gigs at BSSP and Pitch.
Earlier today, The Wall Street Journal reported that MDC is exploring various “strategic options,” including an outright sale, for the second time in recent years following news that CEO Scott Kauffman will be stepping down.