Pub. Note: Our thanks to Mike Doherty, long-time president of the venerable Cole & Weber, for alerting us to holding company WPP’s version of agency “pickup-sticks”—albeit six months late! We’ll let you sort out the results of this mad scramble in this Adweek story from last March: https://www.adweek.com/agencies/wpp-folds-possible-cole-weber-into-wunderman-thompson-seattle-as-part-of-powerhouse-merger/. For the record, at least a half-dozen local ad-biz pros were in the dark about this major move, as well. One called the death of 88-year-old Cole & Weber the advertising community equivalent of razing the Space Needle! Best of luck, Mike. Here’s his email:
“My apologies for a mass email, but by now you’ve likely heard that, after 21 years at Cole & Weber (now Wunderman Thompson), I am leaving the agency as of Oct 1. While Wunderman Thompson is a great place that combines the strengths of Cole & Weber, J. Walter Thompson, Wunderman and POSSIBLE, it’s time for me to take a break and figure out what’s next on my career adventure.
“It’s been a privilege and a gift to work with so many smart, challenging (in a good way 😊) and fun people as well as some of the world’s most interesting brands and consumer challenges. Your trust and friendship mean the world to me. Whether we’ve worked together on a project or in a long-term partnership, I can’t thank you enough for entrusting the agency, and me personally, with your reputation, money and business.
“I hope you’ll stay in touch and if there is anything I can do for you, I can be reached at 206-349-3755 or by email at Dohertymp1@gmail.com.”