Maja Pawinska Sims 28 May 2024 // 9:47AM GMT
LONDON — M&C Saatchi Talk co-founder and chief operating officer Ryan Woor is leaving the agency after 18 years.
In a LinkedIn post, Woor announced he was stepping down from the agency and also as president of M&C Saatchi Talk’s global network of independent communications agencies, SERMO, which he co-founded.
He said: “It’s been quite a journey, filled with unforgettable experiences, immense opportunities to grow, the privilege to work with some of the most talented individuals in the industry and most of all, a lot of fun."
Woor joined the agency in 2008 when it was known as Talk.Global and has led the business since CEO Jane Boardman announced her departure earlier this year, saying she was "leaving agency life" after more than 20 years with the business. Woor and Boardman led the 2020 merger of M&C Saatchi PR and Talk.Global to create M&C Saatchi Talk.
Of his partnership with Boardman, Woor said: “I am incredibly proud of the agency we built together and for everything we achieved. But it now feels like we have reached the end of an era and the time is right for the agency to move into the next chapter under new leadership.”
Woor, who previously held business and finance roles at Ogilvy, was founding co-chair of M&C Saatchi Proud, the group’s LGBTQIA+ network, and, having had global beauty brands including Coty as clients, is a member of the executive board of the British Beauty Council.
Another M&C Saatchi group PR agency, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, has also recently lost its long-time leadership team, with global CEO Steve Martin and UK CEO Jamie Wynne-Morgan announcing their resignations, both after more than 20 years with the firm, with the promise of a “new venture coming soon”.
The four leadership departures follow M&C Saatchi restructuring its UK operations and repositioning M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment as its new "passion marketing" agency; it is thought M&C Saatchi Talk will also move into this new division.