Adweek reported McCann NY nixed the Chief Creative Officer and Head of Growth roles, positioning the moves as restructuring designed to enhance nimbleness and better serve clients.
Is the reengineering an admission that White advertising agencies have too many levels of political power? Or is McCann simply preparing for the inevitable redundancy RIF—i.e., executing preemptive pruning before becoming collateral damage in the impending Omnicom acquisition of IPG?
EXCLUSIVE: McCann NY Eliminates CCO and Head of Growth Roles
Shayne Millington and Suresh Raj will exit the agency as McCann streamlines oversight under North America leadership
By Audrey Kemp & Brittaney Kiefer
McCann New York is eliminating its top creative and growth roles as part of a restructure that will place oversight under regional North America leadership, according to an internal memo sent to staff Monday and obtained by ADWEEK.
As a result, chief creative officer Shayne Millington and head of growth Suresh Raj will depart the agency at the end of the month.
The memo frames the changes as part of an effort to consolidate leadership under regional executives and prioritize roles directly responsible for delivering creative and strategic work.
“Our goal of partnering with our clients to help them find their truth and tell it well means our leaders and teams need to be closer to the work,” the memo reads. “To achieve this, we need to simplify our structure to reduce layers of leadership so that we can put more emphasis on roles that create the work.”
Millington, who has led McCann NY’s creative department for more than nine years, will not be replaced. During her tenure, she led work that made McCann New York the most awarded agency in the city at Cannes in 2023 and was named ADWEEK’s Agency All-Star Creative of the Year in 2024.
Britt Nolan, who joined McCann in January from Leo Burnett, will now oversee creative operations for North America, including the New York and Detroit offices. He will also join the agency’s executive leadership team and work alongside executive creative directors Leo Barbosa, Cuanan Cronwright, and Lance Parrish.
A spokesperson confirmed the changes to ADWEEK: “We are grateful for Shayne’s leadership over the years and for all that she’s done to help make McCann what it is today. We’re excited for what’s ahead with Britt at the creative helm, leading us into our next chapter.”
Meanwhile, Raj’s responsibilities will be absorbed by Michelle Tang, McCann Worldgroup’s North America chief growth officer, who is returning to lead the New York growth team in addition her regional oversight. Tang, who rejoins the executive leadership team, has played a key role in securing key accounts including TJ Maxx and Prudential, according to the memo.
The spokesperson also added that Raj chose to depart on his own terms to pursue a new opportunity.
“During his time with us, Suresh redefined how we approach new business, bringing in new brands for the network—and has been a champion for inclusivity and collaboration and pushed us to think bigger and bolder about how we grow,” the memo states.
The leadership shakeup comes amid ongoing business challenges for McCann, as the agency continues to cycle through high-profile client losses including Verizon and MGM Resorts.
The changes also come as IPG prepares for its proposed merger with Omnicom, announced in December 2024. The deal, which would create the world’s largest advertising holding company, is projected to generate $750 million in annual cost savings—likely through operational consolidations and reductions in overlapping positions.
“Please join me in welcoming Britt and welcoming back Michelle, and in wishing Shayne and Suresh all the very best in their new chapters,” the memo concludes.
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