McCann appoints Karl Bates to national head of strategy role for Australia and New Zealand
McCann Worldgroup has appointed Karl Bates (pictured far left, with Ahsley Farr), as chief strategy officer of McCann Australia & New Zealand.
Bates joins McCann from Saatchi & Saatchi Germany, where he headed up planning across three offices in Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Dusseldorf. He was a member of the WW planning board, leading the development of Saatchi’s proprietary planning tool “Xploring”. As a key member of the management team, Bates helped win significant new business including Deutsche Bank and Avis, and was in charge of mentoring and leading a team of 10 planners.
At McCann, Bates takes over national and trans-Tasman planning duties from Ashley Farr, who will focus on his role as managing director of McCann Sydney. Farr juggled the MD and national planning roles since the merger of SMART with McCann.
Says Farr: “It was an extensive and exhaustive global search but when I met Karl, I knew he was the right person with the right passion, experience and work we need at the new McCann. To match the world-class clients we have, it is important that the new McCann attracts world-class talent. Karl is just that and a great addition to team. I am secure in the knowledge that Karl and his team will lead the strategic planning discipline to a new level.”
Prior to Saatchi & Saatchi Germany, Bates was at Saatchi & Saatchi and Grey in London and was also a founding member of awarded German hotshop D-OFFICE, which he helped build and sell.
With experience on brands such as Deutsche Bank, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, Toyota, General Mills and Guinness, Karl brings strong integrated planning skills, a leadership track record and an entrepreneurial style to his new role.
Says Bates: “I’m absolutely delighted to be here, joining the team for such an important phase at McCann. It’s an honour to be a part of such an iconic brand steeped in a history of such iconic advertising and working on a client list that’s to die for. There is a legacy of brilliant strategic thinking here and moving forward this will be at the heart of the transformation process, shaping the McCann of tomorrow. There has never been a more pertinent time for ‘Truths Well Told’ than today. There is no doubt that the time is absolutely right for us.”
Bates will lead McCann’s growing strategy teams across its offices in Australia and New Zealand, with more appointments to be announced soon. The agency is still recruiting, with more appointments to be made within the next month.
4 Comments
“I can see my house from here!”
It must be a creative agency, they are standing in front of stencil art.
Nice one Karl, good luck.
So the Smart CD hired another CD to do his job at McCanns.
The Smart strategy guy hired another planner to do his work for him.
Who’s Ben going to hire to do his??
The mind truly boggles.