After six years leading the agency, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand
CEO Nicky Bell has decided to leave in March and current GM, Paul Wilson
will take over the leadership, promoted to managing director.
Bell
was recruited in 2010, charged with leading the turnaround of the
Saatchi & Saatchi brand in New Zealand and went on to successfully
transform the culture and capabilities of the agency with a focus on
creative thinking across all departments and the integration of digital.
Says
Bell: "It's been a privilege to work with the hugely talented, good
hearted people here at Saatchi & Saatchi. I'm so proud of the
transformation we were able to drive within the business and our
culture. Our team, along with some incredible client partners, made this
role a real joy.
"And it's great to be leaving the agency in
such talented hands. Paul is a natural leader. Our clients and people
trust and respect him. He has an amazing eye for the work, the kind of
drive and optimism that's infectious, and the guts to deal with the
tough stuff in our business. Gus and Corey are brilliant buggers, and
they make me laugh every day. They've have had a stellar first year as
joint ECDs. The three of them, along with the incredible leadership
team, are going to do amazing things."
Says Wilson: "I'm
genuinely stoked to be given this opportunity. We've got an awesome
team, great clients and some exciting projects on the go already this
year. 2016 is shaping up nicely. I've learnt a huge amount off Nicky in
my time here. She is a great leader and an awesome human being. We will
really miss her."
Wilson joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 2013
from Colenso, where he was joint Head of Account Management and running
the agency's largest piece of business BNZ Bank. Prior to that,Wilson
spent five years at DDB New Zealand.
Bell has not yet announced
her next move, but said: "It's been an amazing 6 years, but it's time to
move on. I'm extremely excited about my next challenge and look forward
to sharing that news soon."