CumminsRoss snares star Clemenger BBDO team Jim Ingram and Ben Couzens for ECD roles
CB Exclusive – CB can reveal that CumminsRoss, Melbourne has snared star Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne creative director team Jim Ingram and Ben Couzens for joint ECD roles – effective January.
Says CumminsRoss CEO Sean Cummins: “Jim and Cuz are great talent and we believe it is the perfect time for this agency to embrace a new creative stewardship. Jason Ross was instrumental in luring the star team to the agency, and we have an exciting vision for the company.”
CumminsRoss has an enviable client list and has had explosive growth in just under three years. With planned expansion to New York in May 2014.
“We have a simple strategy when it comes to talent. Hire the best. Jim and Cuz will be partners and hold an equity stake in the agency. So their creative journey takes on an added dimension,” says Cummins.
CumminsRoss has recently hired Naked founder Adam Ferrier, ex Omnicom M&A chief Craig Hart, and ex Possible European MD Scott Heron.
Says Ingram: “We’ve been watching CumminsRoss with a careful eye and what these guys have managed to achieve in just three years is nothing short of impressive. To be given an opportunity to take the creative reigns and help shape the next chapter is an exciting prospect. We can’t wait to get stuck into it, there are exciting times ahead.”
Couzens (top left) and Ingram (top right) have been responsible for a number of major award-winning campaigns, including Schweppes ‘Burst’ (recognised by the Gunn Report as the second most awarded commercial in the world that year), VB ‘Symphony’, the Cadbury ‘It’s no Picnic’ work and Defence Force Recruiting campaigns.
The news comes just over two weeks after CB reported exclusively that Johannes Leonardo, New York had poached star Clemenger BBDO, Melbourne creative director team Tom Martin and Julian Schreiber to executive creative director roles.
25 Comments
Shit yeah.
Looks like MAMMOTH MAMMOTH will be looking for a new guitarist!
I bought a Jeep!
Two of the nicest guys in advertising. On ya J&B!
Well done boys.
Two of the best lads (regardless of industry) going around plus super talented.
Best of luck boys…make Uncle Jimmy McGrath proud.
Holy shit-balls. Thats massive news.
Congrats you legends.
Great work legends, well deserved and looks like Cummins Ross might start to move up the creative ladder
Brilliant move guys.
Well done people.
Get equity = set yourselves up for life.
Much smarter than winning heaps of shiny awards that don’t mean anything.
Very smart.
This is huge news. Well done guys.
Well done chaps. Couldn’t be happier for you both. Lucky CR!
see ya Clem’s
Just for a laugh I encourage all of you to write a comment that isn’t glowing of Clems or James McGrath. I promise they will never get published.
Good luck, lads.
Clems are losing some senior talent of late.
The work is and always will be the DNA of an agency and the CD’s are the ones that shape them. To hold on to great senior creative talent, agencies need to look at better ways to lock them in. A smart move by Cummins Ross, Clems on the other hand have lost yet another CD team.
Don’t be naïve. Sean is probably the smartest entrepreneur in advertising today. And you know what smart entrepreneurs never do? Give away any meaningful amount of equity. A token amount to make people feel more involved in the business? Sure. The amounts that people on here seem to think we’re talking? Not a snowball’s chance in hell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaiSHcHM0PA
@ Twisty – any amount of equity, and share of the profits is way better than no equity and no dividend. Smart entrepreneurs know this. They’re usually only greedy once before they learn that good people in this business equals growth, long-term success, stability and then money. Don’t be naive.
I love that they were a Creative Director team. Isn’t everyone at Clems at least a CD? Then, if you’re promoted, you might get to be an (though probably not ‘the’) ECD. But at least there’ll always only ever be one Creative Chairman. (As far as I can tell, there’s only one of them on the planet.)
WOW – amazing news. Congrats you two!
it never reigns but it pours…
(awkward quote from Jim)
Twisty is right. Equity is not worth a dime unless an agency is for sale. And yearly dividends are hard to come by or non-existant as the agency pays off debt to the bank, to the major shareholders or invests in new hires and growth. However, don’t be fooled. Their salaries will still be more than hefty and the opportunity to lead a big agency creatively is a great step forward for anyone. And these guys deserve it more than most.
Not really @Mr Reality. Equity is just a performance bonus. You don’t really own anything. When you leave the company, you don’t get to keep your shares. I’ve worked in an agency where everyone had equity, down to the receptionist and the mailroom guy. At the end of the day, unless you’re an owner or founding partner, it’s a bit of a gimmick.
Equity is gold.