One of Australia’s most high-profile media buyers, Harold Mitchell, has died aged 81. Mitchell is said to have died after complications arising from recent knee surgery.

Mitchell, fond of pointing out he was from a Victorian sawmilling family and didn’t finish high school, founded Mitchell & Partners in 1976.

Along with Dennis Merchant, who founded Merchant & Partners and sold to IPG Mediabrands 20 years ago, Mitchell pioneered independent media agency buying in the 1970s long before the global holding companies like WPP, Omnicom, Publicis and IPG split media buying and planning from their global creative ad agency networks in the late 1990s.

Mitchell & Partners was sold to the then British Aegis Group for $363m in 2010 before Aegis was acquired by Japan’s Dentsu.

Industry tributes have started to flow:

Danny Bass, CEO, media, dentsu said: “Arriving in Australia in the late ‘90s, it was clear the industry was defined by three: Murdoch, Packer and Mitchell. Harold Mitchell was a titan that defined Australia’s media landscape for many decades and must be remembered in the pantheon of Australian media legends. He was a powerhouse of our industry and passionately believed in the power of advertising. Harold was a fierce competitor, a passionate Australian and a passionate Victorian. I worked with him both on media side and as a competitor and once he retired, he was very generous with his time with on me a number of occasions. Harold Mitchell’s legacy is one that is hard to capture in a few short sentences, but it is one that lives on in those who knew him and the industry he helped shape into a competitive force on the global stage. His passion for the arts and sports and efforts in philanthropy will also be remembered.”

James Warburton, Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, James Warburton said: “Harold was a fierce, tough competitor and a true legend of the Australian media and advertising industry. He loved media. He was passionate about selling the impact and value of advertising. He was a great friend to the TV industry and many of us learnt a lot from him. Our deepest sympathies go to Harold’s family at this very sad time.”

Atomic 212° Chairman, Barry O’Brien OAM, said: “This is an incredibly sad day with the loss of Harold Mitchell. My sincere condolences to his family. Harold was a powerhouse of the media industry and the platform for many people to start their own agencies. I had the privilege of working with him for several years and I saw, first hand, his philosophy that everyone at the table had to win: the client, the media and his business. As such, he was a true wealth creator. Harold was also known for the amazing support he gave to many charities and institutions, all of which benefited from his wide range of connections.”

Media Federation of Australia CEO Sophie Madden said: "Harold Mitchell has accurately been called the father of the media buying industry in Australia. From launching the first independent media buying company in the country to growing it into one of the biggest and most powerful agencies we've seen, he has had a profound impact on the industry and many people working in it today. I have fond memories of working for Mitchells in the very early days of my career and I'm grateful for everything I learned there. Harold was passionate about promoting the value of our industry to the economy and the broader community, and will be remembered as a true pioneer."

Seven West Media Chairman, Kerry Stokes said: “Harold was a visionary and a leader in the media industry over many decades. He will also be remembered as a great philanthropist and supporter of the arts and sports. Harold was a doyen of the industry and a great friend over the 40 years we had known each other. He had a wonderful sense of humour and a was groundbreaker in the way media was monetised. I enjoyed his company, and he will be missed by us all.”