MEC and Maxus merger: UK leadership team announced

MEC’S UK CEO, Jason Dormieux, will take on the role of CEO of the new combined MEC and Maxus agency in the UK when it launches in January 2018, it has been announced.

Earlier this month, GroupM, the investment arm of WPP, announced it is merging the global operations of its agencies MEC and Maxus under the leadership of MEC’s global CEO Tim Castree.

GroupM’s portfolio will now comprise three global media agency networks – Mindshare, MediaCom, and the new yet-to-be-named company – each with more than one billion dollars in annual revenues.

Dormieux will lead a new management team which will include Anna Hickey (pictured below), Maxus UK MD, who will take on the UK MD role, and Paul Hutchison, MEC COO, who has been named COO of the new company.

Dormieux has been MEC UK’s CEO since January 2016. Prior to this he spent two years as joint CEO.

Hickey has been Maxus MD for more than two years and prior to joining was chair of the commercial strategy board for MEC. She will take responsibility for developing client relationships and overseeing the new agency’s talent and culture.

MEC’s current UK MD Sarah Hennessy recently announced that she is leaving the company to take some time out of the industry for a few months.

As COO, Paul Hutchison will be responsible for communications planning, activation and commercial teams and for driving key client relationships.

Paul Hutchison

All three roles become effective in January 2018.

Tim Castree said: “We’re merging Maxus and MEC to form a brand new billion dollar revenue media content and technology agency, dubbed ‘NewCo’ for now. With such ambition, comes a need for brilliant talent to lead and inspire, and so today’s news is very exciting for us.

“Under Jason’s leadership, supported by Anna and Paul, I am confident that we have the right team in place to truly blend the best of MEC and Maxus and make NewCo UK a formidable future-facing agency.”