Following an extensive internal investigation, Adweek is reporting that Ogilvy has parted ways with the agency’s longtime Chief Creative Officer and Co-Chairman Tham Khai Meng. News outlets were alerted after an internal memo from CEO John Seifert was made public.
The memo, which was sent to all staff today, mentions, “complaints serious enough to appoint external legal counsel to investigate the matter’of Them Khai Meng’s behavior.
Seifert did not go into detail about the findings of the investigation, but clearly the conclusions were serious enough to come to the decision that “Khai’s behavior was a clear breach of our company values and code of conduct.” Seifert went on to say that Khai’s employment with Ogilvy was effective immediately.
Khai had been with Ogilvy almost 20 years having joined the agency in 1999. After becoming one of advertising’s most prolific and sought-after creative leaders, Khai was promoted to worldwide CCO and co-chairman in 2009, just ten years later.
This is indeed sad news for Ogilvy, which just came off of a great year at Cannes, taking home a number of awards including a Grand Prix for its Kiwi work in the Industry Craft Category.
ALSO READ: Ogilvy KO’s Cannes’ Industry Craft competition
Here is Seifert’s entire memo:
Two weeks ago, I was informed of employee complaints regarding the behavior of Tham Khai Meng, Chief Creative Officer of The Ogilvy Group.
I found these complaints serious enough to appoint external legal counsel to investigate the matter.
After carefully reviewing the investigation’s findings with several of my partners, we concluded that Khai’s behavior was a clear breach of our company values and code of conduct. I have decided to terminate Khai’s employment with the company with immediate effect.
Each year, we ask every employee in the company to read, authorize, and fully commit to a code of conduct that each of us is responsible for living up to. Over the past 70 years, we have institutionalized shared values and a standard of professional behavior unique to the Ogilvy brand.
This is an important moment to reaffirm that no individual in this company is too senior or too important not to be held accountable for their actions.
Thank you for your support.
John Seifert
Chief Executive, Worldwide
Last month, Campaign reported that Meng had pledged to hire 20 senior creative women globally by the end of 2020 and promised a new pipeline of senior women of color. Ogilvy also unveiled a new corporate identity in June that simplified its organizational structure.
REEL360 reached out to Ogilvy, Chicago. As can be expected with this kind of difficult situation, the agency is mum except for the released statement. REEL360 and Reel Chicago do wish the people of the Ogilvy Network the best.
Stay tuned to REEL360 as we learn more about this developing situation.
Source: Adweek
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.
