Matt MacDonald has left VCCP to become chief creative officer at Merkley+Partners, the Omnicom-owned agency confirmed to ADWEEK. He starts in November and takes a creative leadership seat that has stood empty for nearly a year.

MacDonald spent two years leading creative at the U.S. outpost of VCCP, the London-headquartered agency. Before that, he served a decade at BBDO, where he finished as chief creative officer in New York leading the AT&T business.

Merkley+Partners, a midsize full-service agency based in New York, has given MacDonald a clear mandate. The agency said he is tasked with reshaping the creative vision and approach across the shop.

What does this change for practitioners?

The move ends a long transition period. Former CCO Andy Hirsch, who had been with Merkley+Partners since 1999, retired at the end of 2024. MacDonald now inherits a creative department that has operated without a permanent leader for close to a year.

For VCCP, the departure removes the executive who built the U.S. creative operation over the past two years. For Omnicom, the appointment restores a named creative chief at an agency that had been run without one since Hirsch's exit.

MacDonald's track record matters here. A decade at BBDO, capped by leadership of the AT&T business, signals a brand-building pedigree that Omnicom will expect him to apply at Merkley+Partners.

The November start date gives MacDonald the fourth quarter to set his creative direction before the new year begins.