Former MKP MD Mercer to become CEO and shareholder at Dinosaur
Grant Mercer, the former chief executive of Tequila\\Manchester and ex-managing director of MKP, will become a shareholder of advertising and design agency Dinosaur, after it was confirmed this week that he will join as the firm’s new chief executive.
The Drum broke the news of the appointment online on Monday (24 September) after mounting speculation over the arrival of a “big-name” at the agency. Dinosaur confirmed that Mercer, who is currently the creative director of The Americas and the Caribbean for Cable & Wireless International, will be buying into the agency and will sit on the board alongside the two founders of the company - Mark Beaumont and Chris Lloyd.
His role will involve heading up the agency’s account handling team, new business strategy and finances, allowing joint creative directors Beaumont and Lloyd to focus on the agency’s creative output.
Beaumont told The Drum the move will “provide the agency with the opportunity to attract major clients, which our size or structure perhaps wouldn’t have allowed us to do before. We can take on work we really want to do and, hopefully, add another couple of juicy clients to our portfolio.”
Mercer started his career at Grey London and WCRS London, before holding the position of new business development director at JWT Manchester. He later became managing director of direct marketing specialists MKP, which he ran alongside its founder Martin Kemp.
The duo sold the business in 2002 to the TBWA group and managed its merger with sister agency Tequila\\Manchester three years later. However, he left the business controversially in July 2005 after famously claiming the region did not hold any opportunities for him.
After a two year spell with Cable & Wireless, Mercer was understood to be in talks with a number of agencies regarding a return to the north west. Having employed Dinosaur as a supplier to Cable & Wireless, he was familiar with the agency’s set up and met with Beaumont and Lloyd earlier this summer to discuss a possible move.
Commenting on his decision, he said: “I’ve had a great time working in the Caribbean, but always wanted to return to the agency scene. I have been in talks with a number of agencies recently, but decided on Dinosaur as I was incredibly impressed with the level of creativity and felt they had great potential – they truly deserve their creative reputation. I hope to be able to use my skills to enhance the creative output and ultimately build a fantastic business.”
Beaumont added: “As Dinosaur has continued to grow, we recognised the need for someone to join the two current directors at board level, and in particular, lead the business side of the agency. Grant’s skills will allow the creative directors to continue to focus on the creative side of Dinosaur as we go forward. Finding Grant ends what has been a two-year search.”