Wunderman Hires Mel Cruickshank as President of UK

Wunderman, a digital and CRM agency network, hired Mel Cruickshank as president to lead the agency’s UK operations and serve as a member of the Wunderman Leadership Board. The announcement was made today, June 26.

She will report directly to Wunderman chairman and CEO Daniel Morel. Cruickshank comes to Wunderman from LIDA, part of M&C Saatchi, where she was CEO since 2009.

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“Mel’s in-depth knowledge of digital marketing is what clients look for; in a world that is always on, they want to know what works in social, what levers to pull in mobile, and what business outcomes will result,” Morel said.

“Based on Mel’s career track record, she knows. That, combined with an entrepreneurial leadership style and a keen appreciation for how insights drive the creative process, makes her the right leader for our UK operation.”

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Cruickshank officially joins Wunderman later this year. In the interim, Wunderman managing director, Martin Conneen, will take on additional responsibilities for managing UK operations until she begins her official duties.

Cruickshank replaces Brendan Tansey, who headed Wunderman in the UK since 2008 and presided over the UK’s expansion to include partner companies Blast Radius, KBM Group and ZAAZ. Tansey moves on to explore opportunities both within WPP, of which Wunderman is a part, as well as outside the group, said Wunderman.

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Before joining LIDA, Cruickshank (pictured above) worked for TBWA GGT, Smith Bundy and MRM in the UK, with clients in the financial services, automotive and consumer sectors.

Wunderman is a member of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) and part of Young & Rubicam Group.