What you need to know:

• Michael McConville returns from nine years in UK to lead full service independent.
• He starts in August. Founder Sean Cummins said more announcements to come as he bids to rebuild leadership.

Cummins&Partners has appointed Michael McConville to head up its offices in Melbourne, Sydney and New York.

McConville takes the reins in August, returning to Australia after nine years in the UK, working as Client Managing Director & Partner at WCRS/Engine, and Managing Partner at adam&eveDDB.

“I was open to coming home but it had to be for the right thing. The right thing meant finding an agency with a global mindset, coupled with the ability to make brilliant local work. It meant seeing greatness in some of what an agency had done before, while seeing the ambition to go bigger and better than ever. Having an agency with experience is great but when you combine that experience with incredible potential… that’s what really excites me. From the first conversation onwards, what can I say, Sean and I knew it was right”.

“I’m ecstatic,” said founder Sean Cummins.

“The last couple of years saw a wholesale exit of many of my partners, who had in their own ways reached existential moments. They absolutely gave the agency their best and we reached amazing heights. But they had their run. This was a great opportunity, one that rarely happens in a business like ours, where we could replace the top tier with new people. Let’s face it a healthy tree is pruned from the top”.

The firm said there would be more announcements to come.