Droga5 says it has parted ways with Chief Creative Officer Ted Royer two days after putting him on leave and hiring an outside firm to handle an internal investigation in the shop's HR processes.
"Effective today, Droga5 New York has ended its employment relationship with Ted Royer, CCO," a Droga5 spokeswoman said in a statement. "We are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for all our employees."
The agency said it is unable to provide further detail on personnel matters. Royer himself declined to comment.
Last week, Droga held meetings with different departments of the agency to discuss HR matters.
On Tuesday, Droga CEO Sarah Thompson sent an email to employees that said: "As a follow up to the departmental meetings I recently held and further Q&A sessions, we want to assure you all that we have been working with an outside independent firm that we have engaged to assist us with our investigation."
"And again, if anyone has any concerns or complaints we encourage you to bring these to the attention of your manager or HR. We are also in the process of engaging an outside resource to whom you can also voice your concerns," the note adds.
Royer, who has been an Ad Age's Creativity 50 honoree multiple times, has been with Droga5 since the agency was founded in 2006. In 2013, he was promoted from executive creative director to chief creative officer.