Mühlemann wants more presence for McCann Erickson
Beat Mühlemann is looking forward to his return to McCann - he worked at the agency 30 years ago. As CEO, he wants to win new Swiss clients, cultivate a participative management style and shows no fear of being dictated to from Germany.
"The task of taking on responsibility and shaping things appeals to me," says Beat Mühlemann about his announced move to McCann Erickson. Managing an agency was a childhood dream that he no longer believed would come true: "When I moved to Migros in 1999 after seven years at Publicis, I thought that managing an agency wouldn't work out. And now that door has opened after all."
The role as CEO, which he will take up on July 1, means a return to agency life for the former Migros advertising boss - and to McCann Erickson: in 1977/78, Mühlemann worked at the agency for two years after returning from Paris, which was still a six-man store in Zurich at the time. He does not yet know today's McCann very well: "Of course I have spoken a lot with the management in the last few weeks, but the decision-making process only took a good month. After I start, I will get to know everything in detail."
His aim is to make the agency more present. This also includes attracting new Swiss clients. "McCann is underestimated in Switzerland", he agrees with the opinion of his new boss Helmut Sendlmeier (see
). Mühlemann does not yet want to say anything about how the agency will be positioned: "It would be presumptuous of me to say anything about that just yet. I first have to get started and get an idea."
Since the departure of Curdin Janett, a management team has been running McCann Erickson on an interim basis. How will the designated CEO define his place here? "Of course, the situation is special in that there are two offices in Geneva and Zurich with their own management teams. I want to work with them as a team. I have a participative management style, but of course I take overall responsibility and sometimes say where things should go. There will hardly be any hour-long discussions." Mühlemann has already discussed the future distribution of roles with Timo Kirez, who has had dual responsibility as Chairman and CD in recent months: "I don't want to interfere with his creative work, but I will give my opinion where necessary. In return, I myself accept justified criticism at all times."
The advertising professional also sees no cause for concern in view of the fact that superiors want to have a say in an agency network: He has had discussions with Sendlmeier, who is responsible for the German-speaking region at McCann, as well as with the European manager: "I don't see any problems. Helmut Sendlmeier is an absolute professional who knows the McCann Group inside out. Especially at the beginning, I will be grateful for the support of a strong person from the Group. I'm not afraid of being dictated to from Germany."
Carole Scheidegger
The role as CEO, which he will take up on July 1, means a return to agency life for the former Migros advertising boss - and to McCann Erickson: in 1977/78, Mühlemann worked at the agency for two years after returning from Paris, which was still a six-man store in Zurich at the time. He does not yet know today's McCann very well: "Of course I have spoken a lot with the management in the last few weeks, but the decision-making process only took a good month. After I start, I will get to know everything in detail."
His aim is to make the agency more present. This also includes attracting new Swiss clients. "McCann is underestimated in Switzerland", he agrees with the opinion of his new boss Helmut Sendlmeier (see
). Mühlemann does not yet want to say anything about how the agency will be positioned: "It would be presumptuous of me to say anything about that just yet. I first have to get started and get an idea."
Since the departure of Curdin Janett, a management team has been running McCann Erickson on an interim basis. How will the designated CEO define his place here? "Of course, the situation is special in that there are two offices in Geneva and Zurich with their own management teams. I want to work with them as a team. I have a participative management style, but of course I take overall responsibility and sometimes say where things should go. There will hardly be any hour-long discussions." Mühlemann has already discussed the future distribution of roles with Timo Kirez, who has had dual responsibility as Chairman and CD in recent months: "I don't want to interfere with his creative work, but I will give my opinion where necessary. In return, I myself accept justified criticism at all times."
The advertising professional also sees no cause for concern in view of the fact that superiors want to have a say in an agency network: He has had discussions with Sendlmeier, who is responsible for the German-speaking region at McCann, as well as with the European manager: "I don't see any problems. Helmut Sendlmeier is an absolute professional who knows the McCann Group inside out. Especially at the beginning, I will be grateful for the support of a strong person from the Group. I'm not afraid of being dictated to from Germany."
Carole Scheidegger
