NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Bill Grogan has resigned as president of Berlin Cameron United after five years at the WPP Group-owned agency.
Mr. Grogan -- who has spent 27 years in the industry and is married to Lori Senecal, president of McCann-Erickson, New York -- said he may be leaving the industry altogether: "What I'm doing and where I'm going remains to be seen," said Mr. Grogan in an interview. "I'm looking at a range of options ... the expectation is I'll wind up outside the industry."
A 'brand name' in ad industry
He joined Berlin Cameron, New York, in 2003 as its first president, on the heels of a lengthy run at Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann -- where he supervised accounts for mega-marketers such as Coca Cola and Johnson & Johnson. Prior to that, he did a stint at BBDO Worldwide, working primarily on General Electric and Lever household brands.
Mr. Grogan gave notice about a week ago, and said he is leaving the agency "on wonderful terms." He will assist with a transition, and plans to officially take leave sometime within the next six weeks.
"We wish him well in what he does next," said Ewen Cameron, CEO-executive creative director. The agency for the time being will reassign Mr. Grogan's duties, with Mr. Cameron assuming the bulk of the client-facing responsibilities himself.
Andy Berlin, chairman-CEO of the Voluntarily United Group of Creative Agencies, did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment, and a WPP spokesman could not be immediately reached.
Leaving on an up note
Mr. Grogan's departure comes as Berlin Cameron, one of eight agencies under the United banner, managed to increase revenue 10% to $23 million in 2007, according to Advertising Age's recent agency rankings. It did so despite a difficult patch that saw the exit of its Boost Mobile account, and loss of a major Heineken account in a surprise shift of the beer maker's lager and Premium Light brands to Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Ore., last year.
