CommBank ECD Erik Vervroegen set to depart Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco
CB can reveal that Erik Vervroegen will be departing from Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco – where he is president/ECD on the Commonwealth Bank of Australia account – in three weeks time.
His departure – which will come just two years after he was handed the role – may just open the door to the account coming back to Australia.
Local agencies had high hopes the Commonwealth Bank account would return to Australian shores, especially after chief marketing officer Mark Buckman left the bank in December to join Telstra as chief marketing officer, eventually replaced by Dell’s Andrew Lark in June this year.
Buckman, who joined the bank six years ago, controversially appointed Goodby Silverstein & Partners San Francisco to its mainstream brand account in April 2007.
The highly awarded and controversial Vervroegen joined Goodby’s two years ago from TBWA\Paris, where he led the agency to win around 70 Cannes Lions, including several Grand Prix and TBWA\Paris was Cannes Agency ofthe Year three times in a row.
Originally from Begium, he made his creative rep working under current Y&R worldwide CD Tony Granger, first at TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris, Johannesburg and later atBozell in New York.
3 Comments
Vervrogen is a legend and an exceptional human being. He didn’t leave Goodby lightly I can assure you but what he has next was too good to pass up. And no, he’s not coming to Oz.
The comm Bank have had many Board level restructures going on on the inside over the past 6 or so months.
It would be great if Comm Bank came back to our shores but lets just hope those involved in the pitch do the work that should be done for the account rather than doing work that just wins the business. I suspect the later will happen. Big Aussie agencies can’t help but throw everything out the window when they see dollar signs.
Grow some balls Australia. Lets see some integrity.
7.05 You sound like his press agent. Perhaps you should take a good look at the mirror and heed your own words if you want Comm Bank to come back to Oz.
7.05 “I suspect the later will happen?” Please don’t throw out proper english out the window, aussie-agency-person.