±±¾©Èü³µpk10

The important thing to know about the Aegis boss Doug Flynn is that

he's worked for Rupert Murdoch. That means he knows the rules of

corporate assassination: be swift, silent and secretive. And so it was

that, without any apparent warning, Ray Kelly was called in to Flynn's

office on the first Friday of February and, shortly afterwards, was out

of Aegis.

It's somewhat ironic that Kelly is leaving just as Carat overtakes

Zenith in the UK billings league. Both by his own efforts and more

recently of those he hand-picked to follow him, Kelly's role in what

many thought an impossible task - catching Zenith - has been

critical.

Although he may have swapped the day-to-day running of Carat UK for the

corporate stage at Aegis a few years ago, there's no denying that Carat

UK, one of the undoubted jewels in Aegis' crown, is Kelly's

creation.

Just for the record, ten years ago TMD Carat, as it then was, billed

£412 million, and Zenith £452 million.

Today, Carat bills £566 million, Zenith £506 million. Some

changearound.

So why did he go? As anyone who knows Kelly well can tell you, he's a

gruff, argumentative, speak-his-mind kind of man. However, the arguments

around the Aegis board table were not about strategy, but about

competence.

In a nutshell, people say, Kelly didn't think Flynn was doing a good

job. And being Kelly, he would not have been able to keep quiet about it

and nor would he have tried too hard to hide his belief that his

operation, Northern Europe, was carrying the company.

In those circumstances, if Flynn was not to look ridiculous, he had to

assert his authority. It is also possible that Flynn may have seen Kelly

as a potential threat to his job. I think it's unlikely that Kelly

wanted it himself - although he might have when Flynn first came in.

From what I know of him, Kelly would have hated the constant travelling

that the job entails. It was about as much as he could bear to cover

Northern Europe.

He would also, I suspect, have hated fronting Aegis to the City - that

kind of bowing and scraping just isn't him. But, from where Flynn sat,

he might have believed Kelly was agitating for a boardroom putsch. So he

eliminates the thorn in his side.

Nevertheless, it seems odd to me that Aegis can contemplate life without

someone who has as much history with the company as Kelly. He's been

there for 20-odd years, through the darkest days, and has been

instrumental in making the group what it is today.

As for Kelly, the word is he's perfectly relaxed. In his early 50s, he's

wealthy enough not to have to worry about money or the prospect of

working for someone he doesn't like or respect. He'll take six months

out, and come the autumn there'll be more than a few media operations

who could use his knowledge and experience.

- Claire Beale is on maternity leave.