I know in this electronic age that theres no reason to lose touch with anyone anymore. That doesnt keep me from being sad because Guy Hanton, my mentor and colleague, companion and friend, is departing Chicago and returning home to England this week. Guy was my first CIO when I joined Lowe eleven years ago, and hes been my CIO for the last four years at Draftfcb, where Ive had the privilege and pleasure of being his direct report and wingman. A mutual friend notes that Guy was the only CIO Draftfcb ever had, and to date the longest tenured CIO in all of IPG. All for good reason: hes a real leader who built great teams and inspired genuine loyalty, year on year. Besides all that, hes one of a rare breed: a generous and true Gentleman at the C-level. As working relationships go, we had a lot of fun. As fun relationships go, our team of two got a lot of seriously good work done together. I liked *thinking* with Guy. I learned so much. Plus he was a good sparring partner, and he actually listened. I really wish everyone could experience a partnership like this one, of such complementary skill sets and inclinations, at least once in their career. Blue as I am about Guy not being a part of my every day anymore, I know that he, Jackie, Emma and Dan are really happy to be returning to the UK after their seven year American sojourn, and that theyre looking forward to even greater adventures back home. And yes, theres Skype which will federate with Lync and itll be like there isnt half a continent and an ocean and six hours in between. So, for now, Guy, as we part: thank you thank you thank you for every single damn thing - theres so much you gave me and Alan that were always going to be grateful for. Im proud of our time together. I wish we could have made more progress on that Chicago bucket list. No matter where the road leads you, you are going to do great and youre going to get to do it your way. I have no doubts about that. Whenever I make scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, I will be thinking of you. Have a safe flight. Ping me when you get there. And whenever else you feel like it.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 23:10:15 +0000
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