R/GA strategy chief Rob Campbell exits in restructure

Rob Campbell has left his role as R/GA's EMEA executive strategy director as part of a restructure and dismantling of the network's regional leadership team in recent months.

The agency veteran and entrepreneur’s exit comes within weeks of the departure of EMEA chief creative officer Andre Le Masurier and the exit of EMEA managing director Matt Lodder last year. Neither was replaced, but instead R/GA appointed Rebecca Bezzina and Nick Pringle in UK roles as managing director and executive creative director respectively.

In a blog post published this morning (Friday), Campbell wrote: "[W]hile it’s sad, I am glad it’s a senior, white, male who is being impacted rather than someone young or female or a person of colour, who are often the ones who get hit first across the industry.

"But while there will be plenty of things I’ll miss, the biggest will be my team. I’ve always been so lucky with the planners I’ve worked with and this lot are no exception. They’re great. A talented bunch of creative fools who made me laugh, debate and rethink stuff every single day."

Campbell joined R/GA in 2018 from Deutsch Los Angeles, where he was head of planning, and previously worked at Wieden & Kennedy Shanghai in the same role. He was a co-founder and planning director at Sunshine, which was launched alongside M&C Saatchi Hong Kong in 2008, and also founded creative shop Cynic in 2003. In between those ventures, Campbell worked at Y&R as regional planning director in Singapore. He began his agency career at Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury. 

In a statement to Campaign, R/GA said: "The Covid-19 crisis has forced a lot of companies like ours to make very difficult decisions. Unfortunately, we have been required to make a small level of redundancies in our London office that will allow us to carry on working in nimble and lean teams as we navigate the disruption caused by this pandemic. These changes have also involved a restructuring of some of our department leads. 

"We can confirm that, as part of this restructuring, Rob Campbell has left R/GA. We wish to put on record our thanks to Rob, and all those who have recently had to leave R/GA during this time, for all their hard work. R/GA London remains in good health under our new-look London leadership team led by Rebecca Bezzina (SVP, MD) and Nick Pringle (SVP, ECD), and will continue as normal to deliver transformational work for our clients as normal."