Daryl Lee has announced that he is stepping down as Global Chairman of , just months after being appointed to the role in December 2025.
In his farewell post on LinkedIn, Lee reflected on the pace of his professional journey and hinted at what lies ahead. “Time for reflection and relationships, two things I have probably neglected these past years. Time for a perspective on what the heck is going on. Time also for a podcast (hint: gay-i). Time to be more outspoken. Emphasis on the out,” he wrote.
Before being named Global Chairman, Lee served as Global CEO of McCann Worldgroup from September 2022 to December 2025, leading the agency network through a period of transformation and growth.
Prior to joining McCann Worldgroup as CEO, Lee was Global CEO of from September 2019 to September 2022. Earlier, he spent more than six years at , serving as Global CEO from February 2013 to September 2019 and as Global President and Head of Global Strategy from November 2006 to April 2010.
Lee has also held several senior leadership positions within McCann’s broader ecosystem. He served as Global Chief Strategy Officer at McCann Erickson from July 2012 to February 2013 and concurrently held the role of Global Chief Integration Officer from May 2010 to February 2013.
Earlier in his career, he was Senior Partner and Group Director, IBM 360 Strategy at and from January 2000 to October 2006. He began his professional journey in consulting, serving as an Associate at from February 1998 to December 1999.
