After nearly a decade with Publicis Canada, Serge Rancourt has left his post as president and chief operating officer for parts unknown.
The change was announced late yesterday along with the news that Andrew Bruce, formerly president of the agency’s Toronto operations, would be promoted to fill the vacant national presidency, overseeing the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal offices.
Rancourt joined Publicis in 1999 from Young & Rubicam where he led its then-$80 million European Ford account with sibling agency Wunderman Cato Johnson in Germany.
By 2000, he had helped win sizeable accounts from Microsoft and CIBC, and reportedly doubled Publicis’ revenues, earning it Agency of the Year honours from Marketing.
According to a Publicis statement, Rancourt’s departure comes after “many conversations” between Yves Gougoux, chairman and CEO of Publicis Canada and Rancourt. Rancourt, who has already left the agency, was unavailable for comment.
“It’s been a great ride,” said Gougoux, chairman and CEO of Publicis Canada. “He’s been a great buddy. After 10 years, one reflects I guess. The conversation has been a positive one.”
Not only is Andrew Bruce being promoted, but his brother Duncan Bruce, formerly senior vice-president and executive creative director at Publicis Toronto, has also received a new title—managing partner, executive vice-president and creative director.
The executive shuffling comes as Publicis considers fundamental operational changes on a national scale.
“We’re in the middle of a re-think on how we build the agency moving forward,” said Andrew Bruce. “Duncan’s promotion to managing partner reflects a broader role leading the company” as it changes how it operates as a network in an evolving industry.
“It’s a work in progress that we presented to [Publicis Groupe chairman Maurice Levy],” said Andrew Bruce. “He was pretty excited and we got the green light… It’s about having a definitive approach on behalf of our clients as to how you build brands in this new world, how you drive sales and how a brand participates in conversations with the consumer.”
Gougoux would not provide details on the changes, but expects them to come into effect in a matter of weeks.
Asked if the changes were being undertaken to cut costs, Gougoux said “the consequences might be efficiencies, but it’s not being done for that reason.
“We practice our trade in a new way because of the digital influence. It forces us to look at what we do in a new way. From brief to delivery, we’re going to revisit what we do.”
