• by March 15, 2005

THE SUN NEVER SETS ON UNIVERSAL'S BRITISH EMPIRE - For a moment when Universal McCann announced late Monday that Robin Kent was stepping aside as CEO, we thought the Interpublic media shop might be returning to its domestic roots after serving under British sovereignty for so many years. Then we learned that fellow Englander Murray Dudgeon would step in as CEO, at least on an interim basis, while Kent takes on "special Interpublic media projects."

The role change is a bit ironic for anyone who has been following the Universal management structure over the past few years. Dudgeon, who has served as COO and Kent's No. 2, was based in the New York office until a year ago, when he asked to be relocated to the U.K., where he continued to serve as COO. Kent, meanwhile, spent a fair amount of his time in London himself, making some Universal insiders wonder what part of the world the worldwide media shop was actually based in. The answer: all of it.

While not yet truly universal, Universal clearly is one of the most global media shops. But that doesn't answer the question why so much of its management team hails from one tiny corner of the planet. In addition to Kent and Dudgeon, the senior management team includes research chief Jim Kite, marketing chief Charlotte Hatfield, and econometrics chief Andrew Sharp, all Brits, and all but Sharp currently reside in the states. And let's not forget Chief Strategy Officer Mark Stewart, who, while not a Brit, comes from another colony altogether: the one Down Under.

Meanwhile, we're wondering exactly what Kent's special assignment is really about, and why it just so happens to coincide with the fact that Interpublic is facing some of its biggest media pitches ever, especially General Motors Corp.'s $3 billion-plus media buying account. Does it have something to do with that? Probably, but who knows? Interpublic isn't talking. All McCann Worldgroup Chief John Dooner would say is, "Robin will work with me on special Interpublic media projects."

Dooner, you may recall, was head of Interpublic before he was asked by the company's board to return to management of McCann following some questionable financial management practices he oversaw during that stint. Dooner was also a key player during former Interpublic Chief Phil Geier's regime that led to the creation of the current GM Mediaworks buying structure for GM. So, who knows?