SYDNEY, Friday: Two ceos at the Australia HQ of VMLY&R AUNZ have resigned in one month –Aden Hepburn’s departure comes just weeks after Pete Bosilkovski resigned from the business (following the completion of the agency merger).
Hepburn, who took over as sole chief executive of VMLY&R AUNZ in May when co-chief Pete Bosilkovski announced his resignation, has now also decided to depart from the business.
Hepburn is being replaced by VMLY&R global chief retail & commerce officer Jon Bird, who is relocating back to Australia from New York. He will take up the role from early July, while Hepburn will stay on for a few months to ensure a “smooth transition” across VMLY&R’s client partnerships and the business as a whole.
“Jon Bird was a founding partner IdeaWorks, the region’s foremost specialist retail marketing agency.”
WPP AUNZ interim ceo John Steedman said the team was excited about Bird’s imminent arrival back to Australia to lead VMLY&R.
“Jon’s global experience and network connections, teamed with his deep local knowledge and digital prowess, makes him the ideal choice to lead VMLY&R AUNZ as it moves into the next phase of growth,” Steedman said.
Originally from Sydney, Bird moved to the US in 2014 to join what is now VMLY&R, to work at the intersection of digital and retail on a global level. Prior to his move, he was a founding partner and ultimately executive chairman of IdeaWorks, which became the region’s foremost specialist retail marketing agency.
Bird also served as director of retail marketing for M&C Saatchi in Sydney.
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