M&C Saatchi Australia chairman, Tom Dery, and the man who helped to establish M&C Saatchi in the Asia Pacific region, has decided to bring to an end his twenty-four years the agency group. He will retire officially on June 30.

“My focus in recent years has been to assist in and guide succession in the Australian operation,” Dery commented. “This is the ideal time for me to retire given the terrific management team in place under the leadership of Jaimes Leggett and the consistent growth the agency continues to enjoy.”

Dery left DDB Melbourne, where he was managing director, in 1995 to help establish M&C Saatchi launch itself in the Australian market. He had been chosen by the agency’s founders, David Kershaw, Bill Muirhead, Charles and Maurice Saatchi and Jeremy Sinclair, as a natural fit, having previously run his own agency, Whybin Dery Barnes, and having airline experience. The new agency’s major clients at the time were British Airways and Qantas.

After helping to launch the Australian arm of the business, Dery launched new offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Delhi, New Zealand and Los Angeles.

In 2008, he was appointed worldwide chairman and held that role for nine years, alongside chief executive officer, Moray MacLennan. He has been chairman of M&C Saatchi Australia since 2016

“Tom is a legend. Twenty-four years ago, he had the guts to join this fledgling start-up and the imagination to keep it growing,” stated M&C Saatchi Australia group chief executive officer, Jaimes Leggett.

“He established the foundations of M&C Saatchi Australia so that it could become the formidable force it is today. On behalf of the team, I thank him for his support, guidance and mentorship over the years. We’re excited by the next stage of our journey as we continue to stand on the shoulders of giants.”

M&C Saatchi Worldwide Group founding partner, Bill Muirhead, commented, “Tom Dery is inextricably linked with the phenomenal history of M&C Saatchi, especially in Australia.

“It was never our intention merely to found a boutique in London. Australia was the first and most important overseas office. We will continue to see Tom as our great figurehead in Australia.”