Advertising News South Africa

Rooney quits Universal McCann

Sue Rooney, Pan-African media director for Universal McCann (UM), has resigned from her post following an extended maternity absence, to devote more time to her family, it was announced earlier this week. Nazeer Suliman, currently GM for UM, assumes the position of MD, with immediate effect, reporting to Graham Duff, president of UM EMEA.

Rooney, who was with UM for seven years, was instrumental in the growth and development of the company, which was awarded Media Agency of the Year by AdFocus in 2007.

“Sue has done a tremendous job in building the UM brand in this market. She was always relentless and tireless in her pursuit of excellence,” says Martin Hummel, group chief executive of McCann Worldgroup SA, the communications holding company which includes UM. “It's now time for Sue to readdress the balance in her life. She will be deeply missed.”

Duff said, “Nazeer is a progressive practitioner in the industry, and this is exactly why I appointed him last year. His broad experience, as client and as agency man, combined with his vision for where the business is trending, makes him the perfect candidate to drive our UM imperatives forward.”

“My time at UM has been exceptionally rewarding and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with a superb team of people and a fantastic client base,” said Rooney. “I wish Nazeer and UM all the best for the future and have no doubt UM will continue to grow and thrive under Nazeer's leadership. It saddens me to be leaving this dynamic company.”

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