TBWA\London CEO Sara Tate is leaving the Omnicom agency, in a week of musical chairs that has also seen new CEOs hired at two other leading London shops, AMV BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi. 

Tate, who has been at TBWA for four years and previously worked at Lucky Generals and Mother, plans to begin working as a consultant and leadership coach. TBWA said it has identified and secured a replacement for Tate and will announce this appointment in the coming weeks.

During her tenure as CEO, Tate has overseen a turnaround in the agency’s fortunes, with six new business wins in the past year. She has also implemented various diversity and inclusion initiatives at the agency, introducing a menopause policy and making mental health support free and accessible for all staff. She was also one of the few agency CEOs to work four days a week.

“Sara has been a catalyst for TBWA\London and we’re immensely proud she’s going to pursue her passion, and ultimately make a broader impact in the industry,” Troy Ruhanen, CEO, TBWA\Worldwide, said in a statement. “The mark of a successful leader is one who builds a strong team that will flourish when that leader steps away.

As well as launching her consultancy, Tate is co-author of a self-development book to be published in 2022 and is completing a master's in organizational change. She told Ad Age that she was moving on because: "I want to support other leaders and organizations in creating talent-centered, high performance cultures. This is a passion that has evolved through all the wonderful business I have been lucky enough to be a part of and I believe that supporting the people at the center of what we do will be a key need for all organizations moving forward."

Tate’s resignation comes the same week that fellow Omnicom shop AMV BBDO hired a new CEO, filling a gap after the departure of Sarah Douglas last month, by appointing Sam Hawkey, CEO of Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi. Hawkey, 34, takes control at AMV BBDO after the agency lost key accounts including Asda and BT—although it’s riding high creatively with multiple awards for its Libresse work #WombPainStories, including two Cannes Grand Prix so far this week. 

Saatchi moved swiftly to replace Hawkey by appointing Chris Kay, Asia Pacific CEO of 72andSunny. Kay's resume includes setting up 72andSunny’s Sydney and Singapore offices and running its L.A. office for four years, as well as roles at BMF and Fallon. Kay is also a former head of marketing for Manchester City football club and has written a book about how to work post-pandemic.

The appointments come after a series of changes in senior management at London creative agencies. Last month, Wieden & Kennedy's London managing director departed after 17 years, while Mother's partners and chief creative officers, Ana and Hermeti Balarin, are moving to Wieden & Kennedy Portland, with the agency yet to announcement a replacement.