Ad giant bids farewell to Dame Cilla Snowball

Advertising supremo and major City figure Dame Cilla Snowball revealed today that she is stepping down from her role as group chairman and chief executive of Abbott Mead Vickers (AMV) BBDO.

The boss of the UK’s largest advertising agency is bringing an end to a 26-year stint at AMV, with plans to pursue a portfolio-based career which will see her work across a range of business boards and government initiatives.

The decision will pave the way for chief client officer Sarah Douglas to fill Snowball's shoes as chief executive at AMV, which has claimed the top spot on the closely-followed Nielson agency rankings for the last 21 consecutive years.

“It’s very hard to leave a business I love, and work that I enjoy. If you’ve worked as long as I have in a great job like mine, I think it’s best to go when people ask why, not when you are leaving…I’ve always loved doing portfolio work and I am excited about the next chapter,” Snowball said in a statement.

Snowball, who was voted one of the UK’s 100 most powerful women in 2013, has established herself as a leading figure in the City over the last decade and was awarded a damehood in 2017 for her services to advertising, diversity and equality.

Andrew Robertson, president and chief executive of BBDO Worldwide, said: “I want to thank Cilla for her extraordinary contributions to AMVBBDO and the network. She has embodied all of our values, but no one – no one – has ever been loved more by clients. Because no one – no one – has ever loved clients more.”