Strategy chief Kevin Chesters has become the latest high-profile departure at Ogilvy UK as the agency's dramatic restructure and staff shakeup continues.
Chesters, who has resigned from the agency without another job lined up, follows a wave of senior colleagues who have left the London agency since Michael Frohlich was appointed chief executive in February.
Frohlich, a former Ogilvy PR boss, has been leading a restructure of the organisation into one brand and one P&L since taking the reins at the group.
That has seen the axing of sub-brands such as the Ogilvy & Mather advertising division and Ogilvy One customer engagement arm and the exodus of hitherto key figures within the company.
Departures have included Charlie Rudd, the former Ogilvy & Mather chief executive who was just three months into a new role as the group's chief client officer, and chief creative officer Mick Mahoney. Both also left without new jobs.
Mahoney's fellow creative chief Emma de la Fosse quit for an equivalent role at Digitas while chief production officer Clare Donald has joined MDC Partners’ Unreasonable Studios as global managing director.
Jo Coombs, the former chief executive of OgilvyOne who left in April, was confirmed this morning as chief operating officer in Publicis Groupe's new-look UK management team. There, she will be reunited with Frohlich's predecessor, Annette King, who is now Publicis Groupe's UK chief executive.
Chesters' departure is considered to be the end of that particular era within Ogilvy UK and new additions to its senior team are expected to be unveiled shortly.
“We would like to thank Kev for all he has done for the business over the last two years and wish him well," said Frohlich.
"We are undergoing a reinvention at Ogilvy UK and over the next several weeks we will be making some exciting announcements as we define the future of our agency."
Experienced strategist Chesters joined Ogilvy & Mather from Mcgarrybowen London in 2016. He had previously served in other senior planning roles at Wieden + Kennedy, Saatchi & Saatchi and BT.