The pair - former chief executive officer On-Usa Lamliengpol and vice-president and executive creative director Garry Cooper - "were asked to leave the premises immediately", said Grey Global Group Asia-Pacific president, Eric Rosenkranz. The two sides are now poles apart with their accounts on how an apparently strong relationship, which had helped establish the agency as a rising star in Thailand, had degenerated.
"In a routine review of the books we found something that should not have been there, said Rosenkranz. "We called a meeting of the board of directors and at that meeting fired On-Usa and Cooper."
He said a civil suit has been filed against the pair. On-Usa and Cooper have also filed cases with the Thai Labour Court for wrongful termination.
"I have undertaken no actions outside the scope of my duties as CEO of Grey Thailand, On-Usa told media. On-Usa added that Ed Meyer, chairman and president of Grey Global Group Inc, had asked her to rejoin the agency.
But she said she rejected the offer in favour of setting up her own agency.
Both sides now dispute the number of resulting staff walkouts. On-Usa claimed it was 24 and Grey said it was five. Former Grey Singapore and Malaysia chief, John Burbidge, will head the Thai operation in the interim.
In an apparent move to steady the ship, Rosenkranz said staff who stayed would receive a two-month year-end bonus and that US$2 million would be invested in the operation.
"This substantiates my position that the company had previously been inadequate in its financial support, said On-Usa. "That is why we left.
The ultimate blame lies with a few inadequate and unprofessional executives."
