Dentsu’s global CEO Tim Andree to take a health-related leave of absence

日本电通庇护网络CEO, and executive vice president of Dentsu Group Inc, Tim Andree, will be taking a leave of absence for health reasons.

CEO of Dentsu Group Inc, Toshihiro Yamamoto said that “matters of health are the most important and I encourage him to take the time he needs to return to full health”.

Yamamoto will take on the additional role of acting executive chair and CEO of subsidiary DAN immediately until Andree’s return. A key team of executives, including DAN’s CFO, Nick Priday, will act as advisors to Yamamoto to help him continue delivering DAN’s strategy in Andree’s absence.

“I have worked with Tim for many years. He is loyal, committed and a trusted long-term leader within the Dentsu family. Tim has the full and ongoing support of the Dentsu Board,” Yamamoto said.

“We wish him a very speedy and full recovery.

“DAN remains a strong business with a highly professional and dedicated executive leadership team who will continue to drive focus and delivery across our business, and for our people and our clients.”

Andree has been with the company for almost 10 years, and in his current roles for almost seven. He joined Dentsu in 2010 from the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he was senior vice president of marketing and communications for four years after being drafted in the NBA in the early 1980s by the Chicago Bulls. He was waived before the season commenced, but went on to play professional basketball across Europe.

In November, Dentsu announced its transformation to a ‘pure holding company’, involving a trading name change to ‘Dentsu Group Inc’. The Asia-Pacific region continues to prove challenging for the global business, reporting a decline of 12.3% in quarter three of FY2019 and 9.7% in the first nine months of FY2019 (excluding Japan).

At the time of those figures being released, the business said Australia and China are driving that decline, with “no green shoots of recovery in either market”.

Less than two weeks later, DAN’s APAC bossousted local CEO Henry Tajer from the role, in what was called the “right decision for the network and market”.

The following month, thecompany announced that, globally, approximately 11% of jobs will be made redundantacross seven markets, including Australia. The job cuts will represent a reduction of 3% of DAN’s international headcount, and represent a saving of almost $200m annually.