In May 2019, adam&eve/DDB co-founders, James Murphy and David Golding, are leaving the agency they began with Ben Priest and Jon Forsyth a decade ago, one a half years after they completed their earn-out. The pair have stated that they are planning to launch a new creative business and are looking for a creative partner or partners. Their new venture will have to wait at least a year to begin while the non-compete clause in Murphy and Golding’s contract lives out its life.
The four adam&eve founders sold their business to Omnicom five years ago. Ben Priest and Jon Forsyth have already left the agency.
In its statement, adam&eve/DDB, said, “James Murphy and David Golding have today announced that they will be leaving the agency and their roles as group chief executive and group chief strategy officer, respectively, in May 2019. They founded adam&eveDDB alongside Jon Forsyth and Ben Priest in 2008 and after 10 years are leaving to pursue new challenges. The leadership team of Tammy Einav, Mat Goff (joint chief executives), Alex Hesz (chief strategy officer) and Rick Brim (chief creative officer) remain in place.”
Last month, the agency also promoted creatives, Ant Nelson and Mike Sutherland, to executive creative directors; Paul Billingsley, client services director, to managing director; Jemima Monies head of new business and PR, to deputy managing director and Fiona McArthur, global managing partner on Mars to group managing director.
adam&eve/DDB was named Agency of the Year at Cannes in June this year.