We first started hearing about this a couple of weeks ago and now it’s official that Durk Barnhill, who’s spent the last year-plus as CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi New York, will no longer hold the title at the agency as he’s now moving into the role of business development director on Saatchi & Saatchi’s global transformation team. Barnhill, who will also help build the digital capability within the Saatchi network, will be succeeded by 39-year-old Aussie native Brent Smart (pictured), who has served as worldwide managing director of the New York office for two years (with an initial focus on the General Mills biz).
In a statement, Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide CEO and Mr. Lovemarks himself, Kevin Roberts, says, “Brent has a record as an outstanding agency leader, a strategic and eloquent contributor in our boardroom, and a fearless producer of work that is equally creative and commercial.” Prior to Saatchi, Smart spent two years as managing director at BBDO San Francisco. During his career, the new Saatchi NY CEO served as MD for several years at Auckland-based Colenso BBDO and worked on the account side at M&C Saatchi Sydney and Melbourne early on.