Britt Nolan Named McCann New York CEO in Immediate Move

McCann New York named Britt Nolan chief executive in an appointment effective immediately, moving its North America chief creative officer into the flagship office’s lead role.

Nolan will lead the office’s business and strategy and oversee all U.S. clients, McCann said in a statement. He reports to Andrés Ordóñez, whom the agency promoted to global chairman and global chief creative officer in October.

What does this change for McCann New York?

The appointment places business, strategy and client oversight for the flagship office under one executive. Nolan’s previous remit was North America creative leadership; his new remit ties that creative background to running the New York office and supervising every U.S. client.

McCann cited his creative record and client work. Nolan led creative at the agency as it added four named accounts:

• Kroger
• Easy-Off
• Woolite
• Resolve

The announcement did not disclose account values, media commitments or start dates. Its stated measure of creative performance was the addition of those four clients, and its stated basis for the promotion was Nolan’s leadership, understanding of clients and knowledge of the agency’s people and culture.

Ordóñez has worked closely with Nolan over the past year. In the statement announcing the appointment, he said: “I’ve seen firsthand what an extraordinary leader, creative mind, and human being he is.”

He added: “He understands our clients, our people, and our culture, and has been instrumental in building the momentum we’re seeing in New York.”

The endorsement came from the executive to whom Nolan now reports. Ordóñez’s October promotion put him in McCann’s global chairman and global chief creative officer roles, linking the agency’s global leadership to the New York chief executive’s business and strategy remit.

Leadership change follows Turnbull’s exit

The appointment came weeks after McCann global CEO Tyler Turnbull left for WPP Creative. McCann’s disclosure did not name a global CEO successor or give a calendar date for Nolan’s appointment beyond saying the change took effect immediately.

For clients and agency staff, the immediate effect is a clear line of responsibility. Nolan directs the New York office’s business and strategy, oversees all U.S. clients and reports to Ordóñez. The announcement identifies the reporting line but does not set out new staffing, financial targets or account structures.

Nolan’s disclosed creative record includes the Kroger, Easy-Off, Woolite and Resolve wins. His move also brings the former North America chief creative officer into the flagship office’s top job after a year of working alongside Ordóñez.

No client reassignments, campaign changes or new business announcements accompanied the leadership release. The decision therefore changes the executive responsible for the office and its U.S. client portfolio, while leaving the operating details of client work and organizational planning unspecified.

For a marketing leader working with McCann New York, the practical change is the person accountable at the top. Clients now have a named executive for business and strategy and for all U.S. client oversight.

The announcement also establishes where that accountability sits: Nolan reports to the global chairman and global chief creative officer who endorsed him in October. It links the four disclosed account wins to the executive now responsible for the New York business.

Nolan enters the role with one record McCann has made explicit: leadership at creative level during a period that brought in four named accounts. The scope of his authority is broader. It covers the New York office’s business and strategy as well as every U.S. client, and the announcement sets no timetable for operational changes.