BEIJING: Saatchi & Saatchi China chief executive Mike Leong has quit
three months after joining the agency, with his role due to be divided
between the network's regional chief Patrick Pitcher and Charles
Sampson.
Sampson, who was until recently chief executive of Saatchi in Poland,
has been named chief executive of the Beijing office. It is Sampson's
first posting to Asia. Pitcher will oversee the network's offices in
Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, which have their respective chiefs.
Pitcher said Leong left because "he found his work didn't match with his
expectations. He is a great guy and we are happy to work with him, but
he came from Coca-Cola and never worked in advertising before".
Prior to joining Saatchi, Leong was vice-president and general manager
of new beverages (China Brands) at Coca-Cola China.
Following Leong's departure, Pitcher decided to look to the advertising
industry for someone with an understanding of the agency's culture as a
replacement.
