Like any good reporter Lewis Lazare hears things.
The bloodletting among upper management has begun as the final stages of the merger between Draft and Foote Cone & Belding begins to unfold. Among the first of the top honchos to go is FCB/New York CEO Steve Centrillo. He had been closely aligned with the already gone FCB Worldwide CEO Steve Blamer — who helped orchestrate the merger deal before promptly leaving the agency and leaving Draft honcho Howard Draft in charge of the merger. For Chicago, the big question becomes who will head up the creative department at the merged local Draft and FCB units. The smart money at this juncture is on FCB’s Tom O’Keefe, because of his close ties to the huge Yum! Brands (don’t forget the exclamation point!) business. Also, any top managers aligned with S.C. Johnson, another big chunk of FCB business, are expected to retain considerable power within Draft FCB/Chicago, as the newly merged entity is now known. A Draft FCB spokesman said decisions on the new chain of command at the Chicago shop will be announced mid-September.