Media Daily: No Smiley Face For Roehm
Posted on December 6, 2006 by webteam
From Media Daily:
One of the media industry’s most colorful and influential client-side marketing executives, Wal-Mart’s Julie Roehm, is out after less than a year on the job. Roehm, who previously shook up the media world proposing the creation of a “Nasdaq” like trading system for buying media while a DaimlerChrysler executive, leaves Wal-Mart just two months after leading Wal-Mart’s advertising account review. Accompanying Roehm out Wal-Mart’s door is Sean Womack, vice president of communications architecture, who served Roehm closely during the course of the review. Mona Williams, a spokesperson for Wal-Mart, confirmed Roehm and Womack’s exit from the company but would not comment on the event or any potential repercussions.
Several sources close to the review process, speaking on the condition of anonymity, say the process–coupled with its immediate aftermath–revealed a series of events that if taken alone, would not have caused Roehm’s dismissal. But in combination, they proved insurmountable…
In situations like these, says Steven Gundersen, CEO of executive-search firm Gundersen Partners, a rejection by the culture is usually the case. “Wal-Mart is unique in its heritage and DNA,” he says. “They do have a very distinctive culture; it’s strong and deliberate.” He speculated that the fit might not have been right.
“It’s very unusual for someone at that level [to exit] in that amount of time, especially since she just directed a formal agency review,” he adds…
In addition, almost immediately following the awarding of the account to DraftFCB, the agency ran a full-page advertisement, which was placed prior to the review’s decision, in Creativity magazine touting the Cannes Lions Awards that depicted two lions mating, with the caption: “It’s good to be on top.”
This did not create a roar of approval at corporate headquarters. The copulating couple caused quite a buzz inside the company as executives questioned Roehm’s judgment, says a source.
