Major shake-up at DDB New Zealand as group CEO Justin Mowday and CCO Damon Stapleton set to depart to head The Monkeys start-up in NZ
In a major shakeup at DDB New Zealand, group CEO Justin Mowday and Damon Stapleton, regional chief creative officer Australia and New Zealand, are set to depart. Campaign Brief can exclusively reveal the pair will set up the NZ office of The Monkeys, owned by Accenture Interactive.
The multi-awarded Stapleton (above right), who has been with DDB for seven years, came from the ECD role at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia in 2014. Before that he was group ECD at TBWA\Hunt Lascaris in South Africa, where he was born. Stapleton is ranked #3 CCO in the world over the last five years in the Bestads Global Rankings.
Mowday (above left) has been CEO of DDB for a decade, joining in 2010 from the MD role at DraftFCB New Zealand.
DDB New Zealand was awarded Campaign Brief Agency of the Year in 2020 and has consistently been placed in the top 3 over the last decade.
DDB Worldwide CEO and DDB Aotearoa NZ Chairman, Marty O’Halloran says the pair have made a strong impact on the agency during their 11 and seven year tenures respectively.
“Naturally I am extremely disappointed that they have chosen to leave the best agency group in New Zealand, and one of the stars of our global network, but we have to accept that they want a new challenge. I’d like to thank both Justin and Damon for their hard work, passion and creativity. We will miss them.
“This agency is built on strong foundations, with a hugely experienced leadership team and incredible staff. I have the utmost confidence that all 265 of them will continue to do what they do best – create amazing work that makes our clients famous.”
A global search has begun for both roles and O’Halloran, who is currently in Auckland, says there are “several options in our global network”.
DDB Group Aotearoa holds five Agency of the Year titles and is ranked among the top five most effective agencies globally.
27 Comments
is it just me or are there lot of respected creative leaders leaping to start their own shops at the moment? maybe a product of networks not respecting the experience and worth of these leaders like they once did and therefore the older creatives wising up?
It seems Mowday and Stapleton have taken DDB’s new global brand position to heart. Unexpected Works.
It’s just you. It’s always happened.
It’s just you. I heard they’re leaving one network for another network.
Good people get tired of looking over their shoulders and know at some point they’ll be let go. There’s no better security than putting all your hard earned knowledge into your own business. These guys will no doubt be getting a chunk of the equity no doubt or they wouldn’t be moving. Good luck to them.
Within 3 months The Monkeys will be called Droga 5
Or Droga Monkeys – which is actually quite cool.
Really excited for them. It’ll be interesting to see what DDB Sydney and NZ do to continue doing great work
Considering they’ll be getting some start up funding from Accenture, I doubt it.
start up funding?….. try fully funded.
Interesting about the droga call. I would have thought the monkeys has a better name for itself down this part of the world after droga was a failure in NZ and also folded in Australia.
Anyway good luck Justin and Damon.
That’s huge, the sands of shifting.
That’s huge, the sands are shifting
The naivety of contributors here is both astonishing and worrying.
I love people acting like this is some seismic shift when in fact it it a CEO and CCO of a network leaving that network to go to another network to be a CEO and CCO. It’s only that NZ adland is such an insular place that causes people to act like chicken licken
Find good people, keep good people. The only way to do that is to give them skin in the game and if you want them to act like owners of the business, make them owners of the business. If not, they’ll leave until they are.
Are not selling the monkeys.
If anything Droga would be acquired by Accenture.
That already happened
Do bring us more of your glowing insights.
You goose. Accenture already own Droga.
Moneys will rebrand to Droga to create a global powerhouse creative brand?
Already been done
Man, it must be embarrassing to be you
You know we don’t care about ANZ or the monkeeeeees right?
You mean…. a bit like this https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/accenture-interactive-completes-acquisition-of-creative-agency-droga5.htm
The lack of knowledge regarding holding companies and acquisitions (% based or in entirety) amongst the commentariat is a touch sad but amusing af.
You guys know this is a business, right?
Spot on.
Please graciously enlighten us, Mr Sorrell.