His decision comes almost two years after he took on the dual roles and launched Neo@Ogilvy as Ogilvy’s digital media investment arm in this region in January 2006. Mandel told Media that increasing travel commitments were the key factor behind his decision.
“Largely, I’m leaving for personal reasons,” said Mandel. “I love my job but to do this job properly you have to go the countries and that’s inversely related to the wellbeing of my family. What I’ve decided is for the next three years, to look for a role that is less Asia-Pacific.”
While Mandel’s next destination remains unclear, he points out that remaining at an agency is “not necessarily my first choice.”
“Frankly, if I’m going to work for an agency I think Ogilvy would be the best,” said Mandel. “The publisher side is attractive and deeper into the media side is attractive. The agency model is very challenging right now and it’s not scaleable - that’s not a reason for me to leave but I will consider these factors when I look for my next role.”
OgilvyOne Asia president Kent Wertime said that the agency was still considering whether to name a like-for-like replacement for Mandel, noting that current Neo@Ogilvy MD Susana Tsui already plays a major role in the day-to-day running of the division.