Brett Howlett out of ECD role at Ogilvy Sydney – CCO Steve Back to take over much of his role
CB Exclusive – CB can reveal that Ogilvy Sydney ECD Brett Howlett, who was hired by former chairman Tom Moult in August 2011 to replace American Chris Ford, has left the agency – for family reasons according to a spokesperson.
Howlett’s departure comes three months after the arrival of Steve Back (below), who took the national chief creative director role in February. Melbourne-based Back will continue to work across all creative campaigns out of the Sydney office as part of his role, following Howlett’s departure.
Originally from Melbourne, Howlett spent nine years working for agencies in Sydney including Foster Nunn Loveder before leaving for the US.
For the 11 years he was in the States, he ran large groups at New York agencies Bozell and Deutsch, and led teams as ECD at M&C Saatchi, and lastly at integrated creative agency Archibald Ingall Stretton before returning to Australia.
21 Comments
surprise surprise
So surprised. More surprised than surprise, surprise.
He’s baaaaaack.
Back is back to usual business.
Interesting.- I’m not sure O&M will let Steve do what he did to the last Australian agency he took over.
No change in the work though…
Shame. You couldn’t find a nicer more talented bloke than Brett. Someone who can work within the confines of the multi-national machine, improve the work, but still keep the clients who the like of Ogilvy attract happy. It’s a tough job and very few people can do it.
Hope he can do to singos what he did to saatchis.
Are you referring to Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney winning agency of the year?
It will end in tears. You know it will.
This has got ‘train wreck’ written all over it…
I’d go work with Steve.
@ Dear reg – you mean the agency that bled clients and staff until they were down to 50 people? Industry accolades don’t mean jack shit if the doors are close to being closed.
On that note, it’s good to see S&S on the way up, now that there are grown ups who know how to run a business at the helm.
No surprises there, that’s been on the cards for ages……and YES this will end in a train smash, a big big bad one. I feel bad for the future casualties that will no doubt be the result of this mess. Yet another mess…….
@seriously, i agree with you 100%. sometimes i’m ashamed to work in this industry, the way it uses people and then spits them out the other end. never mind the fact that this guy moved his family from new york to take the gig, or that he worked his ass off trying to make the unworkable work. he’s just an expendable figure prone to the whims of ego. what a pile of horseshit.
Quite agree doubting thomas. Brett’s a top bloke and it’s tough gig. I’m not sure the heavy hand of Back will serve them any better.
Brett IS a really nice guy, quietly spoken and modest, and maybe that’s the problem. You need to be a cunt to succeed in adland.
It has been how long now. And what has the new ECD done? Same thing he does everyplace else. This is the opinion of many. Even outside of Ogilvy.
He really does alienate himself. He’s crashed so many agencies with his ego. It really sucks that he has to push his weight around here. But this is the agency life. His living the life never really lasts. Hope he grows up someday. Cheers to Brett though.
@Old CD guy I once worked with a CD who self described as a “Charismatic cunt”
When I commented that he had it 1/2 right he thanked me. Turned out he was really a dumb cunt. And Karma got him too. Usually does get cunts I find.
Backy won’t last. He never lasts.