CCO Bruce Henderson Leaving Geometry Global

By Patrick Coffee 

Bruce Henderson, the Ogilvy veteran promoted to the chief creative officer role at WPP activation networks G2 and Geometry Global, is leaving to focus on personal projects.

Here’s the internal all-staff memo from North American CEO Carl Hartman, who assumed that position in April 2014 after serving as shopper marketing head and global client leader for the WPP organization and working in accounts at Y&R and MEC.

Tough news. Bruce is leaving.

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Yes, that’s a bummer because he’s a great guy, he’s elevated our creative product, and he assembled a world-class team of ECDs.

But it’s good news too, because Bruce is leaving to find his bliss. That takes maturity and confidence.  He’s leaving to find his next chapter, which includes publishing another book. It makes sense; almost twenty years has passed since his last one, and the world is ready for another.

I’m happy to say that Bruce leaves us with an award-winning creative department that can take us on the next stage of our journey. And he’s promised to stick around to tie up loose ends so we’re prepared for his departure. I’m confident that there won’t be any hiccups. At some point, we will seek to find his replacement.

In the meantime, stop by and share some time with a great creative, a renaissance talent (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVn6ijJi0xo), and a truly nice guy.

 

Onward and upward –

Carl

Henderson entered the agency world as a casting assistant and had an unconventional career trajectory, joining Agency.com and Ogilvy Interactive as a copywriter in the early 00s. He then became a group creative director and senior partner within the larger Ogilvy organization, working on such accounts as DuPont, Siemens, Six Flags and TD Ameritrade.

In 2011, he left the Ogilvy organization to become CCO at what was then called G2, marking the first time the activation shop had hired someone to run its creative across all departments. Henderson helped pitch new business and worked on clients from Heineken, Aetna and Hertz to CoverGirl and Campbell’s.

Two years later, G2 merged with sister agency Ogilvy Action, JWTAction and Grey Group’s  activation unit to create Geometry Global; Henderson took the lead creative role at the new WPP entity.

Outside the world of advertising, Henderson is both an author and a rock star of sorts. In addition to writing one non-fiction tome and co-authoring another one, he wrote for various Midwestern magazines and scripted shows for the Disney Channel and VH1. His roots rock solo work (example here) has been covered by such artists as jazz vocalist Curtis Stigers.

No word on his specific projects, Geometry’s plans to appoint a successor, or the question of whether the world is indeed ready for another book.

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