• by Steve McClellan , October 15, 2020

Long-time Mindshare veteran Nick Emery was abruptly terminated yesterday as the CEO of the GroupM agency.

The company left no doubt that Emery was fired with a brief statement that said he left “with immediate effect following a clear breach of the company’s code of conduct.”

The specific transgression was not disclosed.

In the interim, GroupM global CEO Christian Juhl will assume leadership of the agency until the appointment of a permanent successor.

Juhl issued a statement:  “At GroupM and our agencies we believe everyone should experience an inclusive and respectful workplace culture. Inappropriate and offensive behavior is not tolerated in our company, and when we see any employee breach our code of conduct, we take swift action. Mindshare is made up of thousands of dedicated professionals who deliver our promise of making advertising work better for people around the world. We know they share our vision and values and are focused on the future of the business and the needs of their clients.”

While it’s not precisely clear what Emery said or did, it’s the second time this week that a C-Suite executive at an agency has embroiled it in controversy. On Tuesday it was disclosed that the Richards Group founder Stan Richards made racist remarks at an internal meeting while discussing an ad concept for decades-old client Motel 6.  Richards as of this writing is still with the firm  but Motel 6, Home Depot and other clients have fired the agency.