Rob Allen will step down as executive chairman of TRO at the end of the month after 18 years with the agency.

The Group Board remains unchanged with Michael Wyrley-Birch running the EMEA region, Jonathan Klingender overseeing Asia-Pacific, and Keith O’Loughlin overseeing the global business.

Allen will retain an ongoing part-time role in the agency world as a consultant to a small portfolio of agencies including TRO. This move will enable him to pursue his personal passions for skiing, cycling and sailing, as well as devote more time to running his local rugby club.   

With a background that includes client-side, advertising and consultancy, Allen joined TRO in 1996 as managing director. He was involved in the early days of experiential marketing and helped the agency grow into a UK industry leader.

With his partners, Allen led the sale of TRO to the global marketing group Omnicom in 2008, which brought together the Manchester, Norwich and London teams.

Allen served six years on the board of trade association Eventia (now EVCOM) where he twice occupied the chairman role.

Allen said: “For just over 18 years I have had the absolute pleasure of enjoying a leading position within TRO but I now feel that the time is right for me to move into a different role so that I can free myself up for a number of other things I want to squeeze into my life.

“TRO has been the best thing ever in my working life, so the act of ‘dialing down’ my involvement is not without some sadness. That said I am convinced that it is the right thing for me – and for TRO. I shall be undertaking some small scale consultancy work within the industry (which will include work for TRO as well as two or three other businesses) but I shall also be trying to ‘live the dream’ which is to be found skiing, cycling, sailing and watching rugby.”

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Rob Allen will step down as executive chairman of TRO at the end of the month after 18 years with the agency.

The Group Board remains unchanged with Michael Wyrley-Birch running the EMEA region, Jonathan Klingender overseeing Asia-Pacific, and Keith O’Loughlin overseeing the global business.

Allen will retain an ongoing part-time role in the agency world as a consultant to a small portfolio of agencies including TRO. This move will enable him to pursue his personal passions for skiing, cycling and sailing, as well as devote more time to running his local rugby club.   

With a background that includes client-side, advertising and consultancy, Allen joined TRO in 1996 as managing director. He was involved in the early days of experiential marketing and helped the agency grow into a UK industry leader.

With his partners, Allen led the sale of TRO to the global marketing group Omnicom in 2008, which brought together the Manchester, Norwich and London teams.

Allen served six years on the board of trade association Eventia (now EVCOM) where he twice occupied the chairman role.

Allen said: “For just over 18 years I have had the absolute pleasure of enjoying a leading position within TRO but I now feel that the time is right for me to move into a different role so that I can free myself up for a number of other things I want to squeeze into my life.

“TRO has been the best thing ever in my working life, so the act of ‘dialing down’ my involvement is not without some sadness. That said I am convinced that it is the right thing for me – and for TRO. I shall be undertaking some small scale consultancy work within the industry (which will include work for TRO as well as two or three other businesses) but I shall also be trying to ‘live the dream’ which is to be found skiing, cycling, sailing and watching rugby.”

Got a story for Access All Areas? Email Tom Hall
Follow us @Access_AA
Or on Facebook and Instagram (AccessAllAreasUK)