Andrew Murray, UM’s former national head of trading, has joined GroupM’s Openmind in the role of transition lead – investment, after Mediaweek revealed earlier this year that the UM veteran had exited amidst redundancies.
OpenMind is a bespoke agency powered by GroupM and WPP for Nestle – it won the FMCG brand’s local pitch last month after first being deployed in EMEA in September.
Mediaweek reached out to GroupM for comment on the addition of Murray, who confirmed his new job on LinkedIn.
In February, UM confirmed that Murray had left the business after 20 years. The agency also made a “small number” of redundancies across Sydney and Melbourne.
UM said the agency and Murray mutually agreed that his departure would be effective immediately.
At the time, Anathea Ruys, CEO of UM Australia, told Mediaweek that Murray was a highly respected member of UM’s team who always provided valuable counsel to his clients and unwavering commitment to the business across two decades.
“Muz will always be a friend to UM, and we are very thankful for his 20 years of dedication. I thank him for his energy, passion and contribution and wish him all the very best for his future,” she added.
Since 2004, Murray has held a range of roles at UM, including Sydney investment director, Sydney partnerships director, and national partnerships director, before he was promoted to national head of training in 2019.
The agency said in a statement on the redundancies: “UM Australia has undertaken a review of its capabilities and resources to suit the changing needs of business and position itself for growth. As part of the process, a small number of roles have been made redundant in Sydney and Melbourne.
“UM is currently working with those affected by the impact of this decision and out of respect for those staff members, will be making no further comment.”
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Top image: Andrew Murray