We reported recently on the sale/absorption of London based RMG Connect by 51 percent owner JWT. A spy tells us that RMG’s Tim Hipperson is soon to be CEO of JWT.
However, RMG sank into JWT because of dismal returns, which one could attribute to Hipperson’s leadership. Furthermore, his taking over would require reorganization at JWT, including current CEO Alison Burns.
That doesn’t seem totally out of the question given this quote in Brandweek from Paul O’Donnell, OgilvyOne London and EMEA chairman, who said, “JWT struggled to have a direct network. We decided to work with them to give people a chance to grow into new roles and new experiences and to benefit the WPP Group. Now RMG has matured, it’s time to move it under the JWT wing.”
Businesses are made of people, and someone has to steer the ship. Between the company’s recent reorganization and O’Donnell’s cryptic message, this rumor isn’t too hard to believe.