Daryl Lee has officially announced his departure from McCann Worldgroup, bringing to a close a two-decade career across the Interpublic Group (IPG) network.
Lee confirmed the move in a LinkedIn post, ending weeks of industry speculation about his exit. Looking back on his 20-year tenure, he described it as an "exciting run" filled with both personal highs and lows, while expressing gratitude to the colleagues he worked alongside.
"It was an exciting run for me personally filled with extreme highs and lows as all intense experiences should be. And marked by deep bonds with some of the best, most competitive and most ethical people you could ever hope to work with," Lee wrote.
Reaffirming his belief in McCann's long-standing philosophy of "Truth Well Told," Lee said the agency's purpose remains as relevant today as ever. He also acknowledged Universal McCann (UM), calling it "that bright media light."
Lee said he plans to take a few months off before deciding on his next professional move. He indicated that his future work will centre on creativity, brand building and human insight despite the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
"Whatever I do, it will be focused on brands not platforms, on humans not machines, on growth not fear," he wrote, adding that sustainable growth requires "courage, conviction and creativity."
Hinting at what's next, Lee revealed plans for a podcast tentatively titled gay-i, saying he intends to become more outspoken in the next phase of his career. In a light-hearted remark, he joked that he had asked AI to rewrite his farewell post, but it was "too busy warning us about the existential risks," so he wrote it himself using his own "gay-i."
Lee joined the IPG network in 2006 as Global President and Head of Global Strategy at UM. Over the years, he held several senior leadership positions, including Global Chief Integration Officer at McCann Erickson, Global CEO of UM, Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, and Global CEO of McCann Worldgroup between 2022 and 2025. In December 2025, he transitioned to the role of Global Chairman and Advisor to the CEO, his final position before stepping down.
Before joining IPG, Lee held leadership roles at Ogilvy & Mather and McKinsey & Company.
