20 axed in major Saatchi reshuffle

Saatchi & Saatchi has shuffled staff and cut jobs from its London office after undergoing a turbulent year.

The Charlotte Street office has hired David Droga as its executive creative director. Australian-born Droga is currently creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, and takes up his new post in December.

Current joint Saatchi creative directors John Pallant and Adam Kean will report to Droga. It will be the first time the London office has had a single creative director since Paul Arden resigned in 1992 to set up a film production company, Arden Sutherland-Dodd.

In further moves, vice-chairman Hamish Pringle gives up his UK new business role to concentrate on developing Saatchi’s cause-related marketing venture, Cause Connection.

Marcus Brown moves from his account director’s role to become the UK new business director.

Joint managing directors Adam Crozier and Tamara Ingram will also take a more active role in UK new business.

The London agency cut 20 jobs last week, mainly in administrative and accounting areas.

Crozier says: “These moves are part of a worldwide move by the company called Right Side Up.

“The aim is to focus resources from backroom to creative front room staff so we can add value for our clients.”

Over the past year, Saatchi has lost major accounts: Camelot, Campbell’s and Vision Express. However, the agency has won Guinness Africa, Lloyds TSB and Rothmans in recent weeks.