WHYBIN\TBWA announces dream leadership team to run its New Zealand agency
Todd McLeay appointed Chief Executive Officer and Toby Talbot appointed Chief Creative Officer
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – 9:00am Thursday February 7, 2013 – In a major top-level management change, Whybin\TBWA New Zealand today announced the appointments of Todd McLeay as
Chief Executive Officer and Toby Talbot as Chief Creative Officer.
Commenting on the two key appointments, Keith Smith, TBWA President – International, said: “I am delighted that we have
attracted two outstanding and proven performers. It’s a very exciting time for us and with Todd and Toby on board, we
are well positioned to take our business to the next level in New Zealand.” Smith added, “This unique partnership is a
blueprint for a new order of how we run our agencies in this rapidly changing world.”
Todd McLeay joins Whybin\TBWA following a successful career in running marketing and media organizations. Most recently,
he was Chief Operating Officer of APN New Zealand where he was responsible for all APN’s local publishing and digital
business, including the New Zealand Herald. Prior to that, he was CEO of NZ Lotteries.
Scott Whybin, Founder and Chairman of Whybin\TBWA Group, said: “McLeay has a reputation as one of the most
customer-centric business leaders in New Zealand and has an excellent track record of growing businesses with creative
marketing strategies.”
Critically, Talbot and McLeay have worked together before. “When I was CEO of Lotteries I worked very closely with Toby
who was Executive Creative Director at DDB,” said McLeay. “Not only did we produce some of the country’s most loved
advertising, but we grew the business – one of New Zealand’s largest consumer brands – in a very significant way. That’s
the combination of creative and commercial success we want to bring to TBWA’s clients.”
Ending months of speculation about Talbot in what can only be described as a creative coup for Whybin\TBWA, the
multi-award winning creative director returns to Auckland from Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y in London, where he was Executive Creative Director. He is responsible for some of New Zealand’s most iconic campaigns
including work for brands such as SKY TV, NZ Lotteries and Steinlager. Talbot won Campaign Asia-Pacific’s 2011
‘Australia / New Zealand Creative of the Year’ and was responsible for DDB’s numerous ‘Agency of the Year’ titles,
including Campaign Brief’s ‘New Zealand Agency of the Year’ for the last three consecutive years – a feat unsurpassed by
any New Zealand agency.
“Toby is a world-renowned creative leader,” commented John Hunt, TBWA’s Worldwide Creative Director. “He’s been a top
ranked ECD in the world for the past decade. His personal award tally is scattered across every festival. He totally
transformed DDB in Auckland, and I know he has ambitious plans for Whybin\TBWA. I think Toby and Todd are going to be a
unique, winning combination.”
“Being ECD of a great London agency and working alongside people of the calibre of Mark Roalfe on brands like the BBC
has been an incredible experience,” Talbot said. “But the truth is, New Zealand has had a strong gravitational pull all
year for my family. The prospect of joining Whybin\TBWA in partnership with Todd was just too good an opportunity to
pass up. I’ve always admired Scott Whybin, David Walden and Andy Blood, and the operation and culture they’ve created
around the impressive list of clients they work with.”
David Walden will assist McLeay any way he can in the handover. “Toby and I look forward to tapping into Devo’s vast
knowledge in the first months. He’s a legend in New Zealand advertising. We can learn a lot from him,” added McLeay.
Meanwhile, Andy Blood will step down as Executive Creative Director and help Talbot transition into his new role.
“2012 was a fantastic year for the agency – we launched our biggest campaign ever for Tourism New Zealand and helped our
long-time client 2degrees to the one million customer landmark. I hope 2013 is even more successful and I think it’s
brilliant that Toby will be part of that,” said Blood. “I decided last year that I wanted to move on. To start afresh
and explore new opportunities.”
“Andy has been with us for almost nine years and has contributed enormously to our strong growth and creative
reputation,” said Whybin. “Filling Andy’s shoes was a near impossible task so we are thrilled that Toby, who has an
impeccable creative reputation and truly understands the New Zealand market, will be joining us.”
“I’m extremely proud of the group we’ve built here in New Zealand since Scott and I started the company in 1997,” said
Walden. “Whybin/TBWA’s continued success is important to me and I know the agency will be in great hands with Toby and
Todd”.
- ENDS -
About TBWA Worldwide
TBWA Worldwide (www.tbwa.com) creates Disruptive Ideas expressed through Media Arts for global clients, including ABSOLUT, Accenture, adidas, Apple,
Energizer, Four Seasons, GSK, Henkel, Infiniti, McDonald’s, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Roche, Standard
Chartered Bank and Singapore Airlines. TBWA is ranked as a Top 10 worldwide advertising agency and was recognized by
Advertising Age in 2010 as the “Best International Network of the Decade.” TBWA has 274 offices in 100 countries and
over 11,000 employees worldwide.
About Omnicom
TBWA is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty
firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and
promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than
100 countries.