McCann Worldgroup Japan will promote chief client officer Antony Cundy to president amd CEO effective October 1. He will succeed Charles Cadell, who stepped back from his regional role earlier this year but retained the Japan CEO role.
Cundy joined McCann in 2016 following roles with Wunderman, Beacon Communications, DDB and Hakuhodo Lintas. He will work with Hiroshi Namiki, chairman of McCann Worldgroup Japan, and report to regional president Alex Lubar, according to the company.
Cundy, a longtime Japan resident who has a post-gradutate degree from Tokyo University, has been Cadell's "clear successor" since joining McCann, Cadell said, adding that Cundy has been the architect of much of McCann's recent growth and has a clear vision of where to go next. "He has all that it takes to run McCann Worldgroup Japan as he lives and breathes the best of both worlds—one of our strengths of having been doing business in Japan for 60 years for both Japanese and Western clients and being a part of a strong global network," Cadell said.
Harris Diamond, chairman and CEO of McCann Worldgroup Cundy brings "the right high level of experience and vision" to a globally important market. "We thank [Cadell] for his role in leading and energizing our multiplatform offering and driving our success in the market,” he added.
Lubar said Cundy's track record for driving growth and integration across disciplines will be key in the world's third-largest advertising market, where McCann's success is "paramount".
Cundy said the company has generated "significant momentum" in the last few years, adding that he wants to "accelerate this growth with a renewed focus on delivering outstanding creativity".