O&M cuts staff after losing Ford lead status

Ogilvy & Mather made 20 redundancies last Thursday, following its loss of Ford lead agency status to Young & Rubicam last July (MW July 16).

It is understood James Page, one of the agency’s four managing partners, and Malcolm Gaskin, brought into O&M to boost the creative on the Ford account last May, are included in the 20 redundancies. Business director Dan Davis and David Royston-Lee, head of human resources, are also understood to have gone. Simon Binns, an account director on Ford, is leaving the company to join Delaney Fletcher Bozell in a senior capacity.

A restructure of O&M is underway. It is believed the agency, which has retained the Ford Dealer, Mondeo and Escort business, is axing its Ford of Europe and Ford Strategic Action Group divisions.

Managing director Richard Pinder says the agency’s management will be brought closer to clients in a “flatter” management structure and “greater efficiencies” are being discussed.