Margaret Chan steps down as MD of McCann Erickson Beijing

Chan will be succeeded in the position by June Lyloc, who previously ran the Microsoft and Cathay Pacific/DragonAir accounts out of McCann Beijing before departing in July 2009. A long-time 'McCanner', Lyloc spent 12 years between the agency's Hong Kong and Beijing offices. She will assume her new role when Chan departs in early April.

A 20-year agency veteran, Chan has worked in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada, and has been based in China for 10 years. She joined McCann in 2003, and has spent the last three years as MD for the Beijing operation.

“I have been on the road all the time, and it has always been my long-term plan to eventually take some form of personal sabbatical to enjoy some time with my family again in Hong Kong. I feel now is the right time to do so after more than 10 years living and working in China, and my mother is 80 years old this year. It was not an easy decision but I am glad that, working together with my boss TH Peng, we have found the right person to succeed me” said Chan.

“June is a strong leader and is well respected by clients and colleagues alike. I have every confidence that she is the ideal candidate to take the company forward,” she added.

Peng was quick to acknowledge Chan's legacy, saying: “We are very appreciative of Margaret’s enormous contribution to McCann Erickson China. Under her leadership, McCann Erickson Beijing has won a lot of new local business, plus more than 40 creative and marketing effectiveness awards, including China Effie, New York AME and the Grand Award in Times International Chinese Awards last year. We respect her decision and hope that we can tap into her immense expertise again when the right opportunities arise."

Peng continued: “June is the ideal candidate to continue the recent momentum, and this succession plan has been discussed and planned at length with Margaret’s involvement... resulting in what I firmly believe will be a new and exciting era for McCann to take the company to new levels.”

Last December McCann Erickson expanded the role of its Hong Kong MD and ECD Spencer Wong to include the post of national chief creative officer of McCann Erickson China.

Chan said she was keeping her future career options open.