“I’m an optimist.” It’s a phrase that peppers Henry Tajer’s conversation. The newly appointed regional president of Universal McCann is relentlessly upbeat, not least when it comes to the prospects of his network.
His optimism is well-founded, following a rapid rise through the ranks that sees him take on a regional network role at the age of 38. Having begun his career as an assistant accountant at a media agency, he soon decided accounts were not for him and switched to media buying. He hasn’t looked back. Chief executive of Universal McCann’s successful Australian operation for the past two years, his remit has now expanded across Asia.
Before his appointment Asia was the only region globally without regional management. There’s little surprise the network looked to Australia to remedy that. “Without sounding arrogant, Universal McCann Australia is best in class,” he says, citing a string of awards including a Cannes Grand Prix in 2006. “We try to take clients to places they are uncomfortable with. That means understanding the consumer and taking risks. It’s an attitude that lives and breathes within the agency.”
In Australia, Tajer very much took over a winning team. In the rest of Asia, he faces an altogether different challenge. Universal McCann is widely perceived as an underperforming network, reliant on globally aligned clients and less innovative than competitors such as Mindshare or OMD.
Tajer admits that assessment is “fair”, but adds that it’s one of the reasons he decided to take on the role. “There’s a hell of a lot of upside for the network here,” he says.
With budgets under pressure and few opportunities to acquire, the obvious question is what he can do to build the network up. “What I am not saying is that we will double in size overnight. We’ll start with organic growth and look at the opportunities sitting in front of us,” he says.
Assuming he can pull that off, the next stage will be to go on a hiring spree. “There are a number of high-quality media professionals at the market leaders who will become bored of being at the market leaders and want to be part of the next shooting star. I need to position McCann as the mover in the market. We want to attract the people who will get a rush out of the up.”
A key focus will be rebalancing Universal McCann so it becomes less reliant on its global relationships. In Australia its ratio of global to local business is 25:75; in the rest of Asia it is more like 60:40. “One of my diagnostics is whether I can get that to 50:50 or 40:60. The key to success in Asia is local depth.”
Unsurprisingly, China will be a focus, though Tajer also points to India, the Philippines and Malaysia as potential growth drivers. He describes Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia as “rebuild markets” for the network. Making Universal McCann a desirable employer in the market will require careful positioning. It cannot boast the scale of some of its competitors; nor, given a client roster that includes Microsoft and (as long as it stays in business) General Motors, can it claim to be a planning-heavy boutique.
“The one area I am really going to dial up in every market is complete integration,” he says. “We have a very competitive marketplace in the media agency sector. The area I see Universal McCann as having potential is its ability to be integrated.”
No media agency would claim not to be integrated. But Tajer’s argument is that there is room for media agencies to look at integration beyond media. “If a client comes to us with a problem and the solution lies outside media, it’s our duty to offer that solution and to measure it,” he says. “Integration is about having an open mind and an open game.”
To accomplish that, he is willing to look at other properties within the Mediabrands unit or within parent Interpublic Group, and even outside the holding company. “It’s operational integration. I’ve seen it put to the test and I’ve seen results from it.”
Of course, digital and branded content - the two media agency buzz phrases at the moment - play a role, but he insists they cannot be pursued for their own sake. “A lot of people are talking about these areas, but I’m more interested in creating an environment where people feel confident and brave enough to deliver what is right.”
Few would bet against Tajer making an impact. Those who work with him describe him as people-oriented yet focused, and more than capable of driving through a deal. The child of working class immigrants (his father is from Egypt, his mother Italy), he grew up in Sydney, which continues to be his home. His childhood was spent playing sport - or, as he says, getting “very sweaty, very grubby and very tired”. Now he is a self-confessed “fitness junkie” who runs five to 10 kilometres a day.
“That is my coping mechanism. I’m well known for not being on the lunch scene - that’s yesterday’s form of business.”
Arguably, one hurdle he will face is trying to run a region from Australia, a market that for all its sophistication remains somewhat divorced from the heart of Asia’s media industry. He argues that a combination of “technology and airlines” will keep him in touch with his country leaders. “Running a region does not mean running each individual market. It does mean supporting the markets. My role is to help them achieve their targets.”
As for the future, he admits that ultimately a global role would appeal, but insists he has plenty to learn about his new region first.
“What I’m not going to do is take what we’ve done in Australia and make it the working model. I’m not going to be the Aussie guy who tells them what we did there. If someone did that to me I’d tell them where to go.”
Henry Tajer’s CV
2008 CEO Australia, president APAC, Universal McCann
2007 Managing director, Universal McCann Australia
2006 General manager, investment, Universal McCann
2004 National trading director, Zenithmedia (MediaCom)
2001 Media director, George Patterson Y&R
1998 Media group head, OMD
1992 Media planner/buyer, Media Decisions
