Burnett’s raids DDB creative dept – secures Grant McAloon as CD; star team Michael Canning and Kieran Antil heading for Leo Burnett New York

CB Exclusive –Leo Burnett Sydney’s star team Michael Canning (far left) and KieranAntil, the most awarded creative team in the world at Cannes this year,will be moving to Leo Burnett New York early next year as jointcreative directors to strengthen the New York office, reuniting withECD Jay Benjamin. 

Meanwhile, Leo’s has raided DDBSydney to secure the talents of creatives Grant McAloon, Paul Sharp,Brendan Donnelly, Guy Futcher and Volkswagen GAD Scott Thompson to workon Subaru. The agency has hired a total nine new people – the otherfour hires are creatives Mike Felix, Matt Swinburne, Misha McDonald andSharon Edmonston.

McAloon (above right), who joined DDB from Mojo in October last year,comes in as creative director, reporting to ECD Andy DiLallo. Prior tothat McAloon was at Leo Burnett, where he was one of the two originalcreatives on Earth Hour. He is partnering with Cameron Harris whojoined the agency just under a year ago from Clemenger BBDO Melbourne.

Together with current partner Steve Wakelam – who remains at DDB – McAloon created the multi-awarded Boag’s ‘Pure Waters’ spot which just missed out on the Cannes Film Grand Prix last year.

Artdirector Sharp will be joining as creative group head, partnering withrecently promoted deputy creative director Gary Dawson. They previouslyworked together at Clemenger BBDO, Sydney. 

Anothernew team is Mike Felix and Matt Swinburne (pictured, left). NewZealander Felix joins from Crosette, Vancouver to partner with formerCampaign Palace Sydney creative Matt Swinburne, who has only been in the job six months after moving across from DDB New Zealand. They’d previously worked together at DDB Auckland. 

Donnelly and Futcher reunite with DiLallo, who first hired the team when he was co-ECD of JWT Sydney. They were responsible for the highly awarded 2009 AWARD Call for Entries. 

And the other new team joining the agency is Misha McDonald (pictured, left) and Sharon Edmonston. McDonald joins from Junior in Brisbane after 10 years working at Whybin\TBWA Sydney and DDB Sydney. 

DiLallosays that after bringing home 11 Lions, 15 Spikes, including threeGrand Prix, and the title of Most Awarded agency in Asia Pacific thisyear, he wanted to find a way to take the agency to the next level.

“Thesemost recent hires reflect an extensive search for the best talent inthe region, bar none,” he says. “Each one of them brings a unique lookto our offering as an agency. Their collective talent along with ourexisting team will surely be unmatched. I am stoked to have each andevery one of them. This bolstering of our ranks is a testament to thegrowth of our agency over the past year. For me, the challenge isn’tmaintaining the bar, it’s pushing it to see how high it can go. Itwasn’t a conscious effort to rob DDB – I was merely looking for thebest possible people, of which they used to have a few.”

Canning and Antil go to the New York office with his blessing.

“Aftertwo massive years with the Sydney office it is time for Michael andKieran to spread their talents overseas,” says DiLallo. “I am stokedfor the boys to have a chance to gain some international experience,while at the same time strengthening our New York operation andreuniting with my buddy Jay Benjamin. Michael and Kieran are risingstars within the Leo Burnett, a network which places a high premium ongiving its people the opportunity to grow.”

In a separate move, DDB Sydney creatives Jakub Szymanski and Alex Stainton, who currently work separately, have been lured to Ogilvy Sydney as a team.

The talent drain at DDB comes just prior to the arrival of new executive creative director Dylan Harrison from Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, and will no doubt free him up to get some new hires in place for the new year.