There’s another high profile departure at McCann Manchester this week, with global head of effectiveness and retail strategy Jamie Peate announcing his retirement after over 16 years at the agency in his latest stint (Peate also had a brief spell at McCann in the late eighties/early nineties).
Peate’s departure, although through natural causes, is the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the Manchester office, including longstanding MD Graham Todd, who said his farewells at the turn of the year after 19 years at McCann, and Birmingham design lead design lead Duncan Bancroft joining a pair of Manchester defectors to local indie Meanwhile in January. He will officially be a man of leisure as of Monday May 4th.
In an emotional LinkedIn post quoting both Shakespeare (“Parting is such sweet sorrow”) and Douglas Adams (“So long and thanks for all the fish”) and announcing his retirement, Peate took the time to list some of his key achievements in over a decade and a half at McCann, and to be fair they make for a decent CV, including:
- Aldi UK value market share from less than 2% to more than 10% (now UK’s 4th biggest supermarket) by helping them produce internationally recognised creative work (inc. Cannes Lion wins).
- Helping to make Kevin the Carrot the UK’s most loved Christmas advert and icon.
- 10+ IPA Effectiveness Awards inc. 2 Golds for Aldi and IPA Effectiveness Agency Network of the Year 2018
- 30+ Effies inc. 2 Global Grand Effies (and another finalist this year) and Grand Effies in Effie UK and Effie Europe Competitions.
- Effie Agency of the Year in Europe (multiple times) and UK
- No.1 Global Agency Network in Effie Index both Globally and in Europe multiple time helping McCann achieve Effie effectiveness agency network of the decade.
- WARC Effectiveness Award Grand Prix Winner
- IPA Effectiveness Accreditation for McCann
- Leader of the McCann CPG and Retail Global Practice and CSO McCann Manchester assisting in multiple pitches, re-pitches and organic growth wins.
- Multiple speaking, panels, punditry and thought leadership events and content pieces on, creativity, branding, effectiveness and all things retail , CPG and Christmas.
- and a load of other stuff I’ve forgotten about
The outgoing Peate also thanked the “fantastic talented people I’ve worked, collaborated, partnered, learned from and befriended over the years,” although it doesn’t sound like he’s ready to entirely put his feet up just yet. He concluded: “What next? I’m having a bit of a break and am continuing as Chair of the Effie UK Awards Committee and as a member of the Effie Europe Steering Committee.
“I will also available to consultancy, speaking, teaching and advising on creative effectiveness, creative strategy and development, branding, all things CPG and Retail and of course winning effectiveness awards.”
