DILALLO AND BENJAMIN QUIT JWT SYDNEY FOR JOINT ECD GIG AT LEO BURNETT
UPDATED 12.50 FRIDAY: JWT Sydney joint ECDs Andy DiLallo (right) and Jay Benjamin (left) have resigned to join Leo Burnett Sydney, filling the vacuum left after the recent departure of national creative director Mark Collis.
Benjamin and DiLallo told CB: “Joining Leo Burnett is a very exciting step in our careers. They are an agency we have always held in very high regard. We look forward to continuing to raise their creative reputation throughout the region and ultimately the world.
“Our accepting of this roll was all about the opportunity ahead and in no way reflects any ill will towards JWT. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Our time at JWT has been one of the best and most rewarding experiences of our careers, one which we have thoroughly enjoyed. We are sad to be leaving such a fantastic group of people but happy to be leaving the office in the best shape creatively they’ve ever been.”
Says Noel Magnus, CEO of JWT Australia & New Zealand: “Hey, it happens…it’s a people business and people move. We’ve worked as friends – and we’re parting as friends. I genuinely wish them well (but not too well of course)”.
Magnus said the pair had made a terrific contribution to JWT’s creative reputation – and created a wonderful platform from which to further build: “JWT Sydney is currently ranked number two in the world on the bestads rankings and amongst the top creative shops in Australia by Campaign Brief – not bad, but obviously there’s still room for improvement!”
Magnus added that he and JWT worldwide CD Craig Davis were currently working through a list of candidates – both here and abroad.
American born DiLallo and Benjamin were promoted to joint executive creative directors of JWT Sydney in August last year after joining as deputy CDs in December 2006 from Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand. The pair were brought out to Australia by Saatchi & Saatchi, Sydney in 2003, hired by then ECD David Nobay, who was their boss at Bozell, New York.
12 Comments
Go JWT!!
Simon Collins.
Mick Hunter.
Andy McKeon.
Jay and Andy.
All gone in two years.
That place is as fucking depressing as you can imagine. Then add ten.
Run by accountants who don’t give a flying fuck about the work or the people.
And they wonder why clients and staff are leaving…
Yet still the regional managers who have presided over the train wreck keep their jobs. Fucking disgrace.
Happy Friday!
Good luck in the new gig, fockers. And welcome back to the Publicis family.
Yeah, I always pull the funny ‘silly Asian face’ when I’m eating Chinese too.
Never fails to get a big, big laugh.
Yes, they did go. In fact they left, and went to Leo Burnett.
Go LB!!
I smell a lot of WWF award show ideas coming our way.
Australia, as in Asia Pacific, yes. No, not Austria. Not in Europe. Sorry guys there must have been some confusion.
Here’s an insiders tip boys, pulling those faces won’t do you any favours at Leo’s.
But I see it was removed and replaced with the swiftness of a Bruce Lee backfist. though, so you get point for effort there.
Is’nt it time JWT cast an actor to play the CD role. I hear you can get a buyout for good bucks these days.
They did a top job there. Went a long way to turning it around and getting good work out of good people there. Just a sweet offer came up.
Whatever the truth, nicely spun boys.
It’s never a good idea to burn your bridges and look bitter, twisted and vengeful, no matter how fucked the agency is or how badly you feel you were treated.
Now, if only I’d practiced what I preach….
Pulling a Chinese face whilst eating Chinese food is bad enough. But pulling a Chinese face whilst they were eating Japanese food, now thats funny.
Well said 8:23.
But if you think JWT is disgraceful, you should see what the Wicked Witches Of The Palace (WWP) are cooking up.