Matty Burton and Dave Bowman are to leave Special Group in August after three years, but will maintain a shareholding in the company.
They will lead the Google Zoo operation throughout the Asia Pacific region.
“We have been working with Google Zoo pretty much since we opened and we feel privileged to be able to continue to collaborate with the boys in their new roles,” noted Cade Heyde, managing partner of Special Group.
The pair joined Special Group in September 2104 from TBWA Sydney, where they were executive creative directors.
l-r: Matty Burton & Dave Bowman
Matty Burton commented, “I am both extremely excited and extremely sad at the same time. The excitement of leading the very talented team at Google Zoo to create some amazing new work, working across Asia-Pacific and across categories with the world’s most innovative company can’t be undersold. But I’m also sad about leaving behind the very talented people who make up Special Group, given all we have achieved in such a short space of time. We are a little family and I take some solace in knowing that we will continue to be part of that family. Who knows what the future holds but I hope it is great for all of us.”
Bowman added, “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to be a part of here at Special Group. Our first three years in market have seen the company grow into an amazing group of talented, creative and passionate people whose drive and hunger has seen them really start to make a dent in our part of the world. But, when we were presented with the unique opportunity to work at Google, knowing we could collaborate with agencies across the region, it was simply impossible to refuse.”
Lindsey Evans, chief executive officer and founding partner of Special Group, commented, “Matty and Dave joined Special Group Australia just six months after launch and in less than three years have helped build a truly modern culture with killer talent, an enviable group of client partners and an offering that has seen our business gain five Agency of the Year awards. We are obviously absolutely gutted to see them go but very happy that they remain vested in our future success as shareholders.”