Observed Signal · Mar 27, 2026 · Executive Death · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Former Euro RSCG/Havas CEO Bob Schmetterer Dies
Bob Schmetterer, a veteran advertising executive who served as chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG (which later became Havas Worldwide) and was a founding partner of Messner Vetere Berger Carey Schmetterer (MVBCS), has died at age 82. Over a 35-year career he helped push agencies into digital marketing, pioneering early website development and banner advertising, and worked with clients including New Balance, Volvo and NASDAQ. MVBCS was acquired by Euro RSCG and later renamed Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schetterer (MVBMS). Schmetterer published Leap! A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy (2003), where he trademarked the concept 'creative business ideas.' Colleagues from Havas and industry peers paid tribute to his strategic and creative influence. He is survived by his wife, Stacy Chiarello Schmetterer, two sons and a granddaughter.
Obituary of an influential agency leader who shaped creative business strategy and early digital advertising; notable to agency and creative communities but not market-moving.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Bob Schmetterer died at age 82.
- He was former chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG, which later became Havas Worldwide.
- He was a founding partner of Messner Vetere Berger Carey Schmetterer (MVBCS); MVBCS was acquired by Euro RSCG and later renamed Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schetterer (MVBMS).
- He pushed agencies into digital marketing, pioneering early website development and banner advertising and worked with clients including New Balance, Volvo and NASDAQ.
- In 2003 he published Leap! A Revolution in Creative Business Strategy and trademarked the concept 'creative business ideas.'
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Beat Mühlemann, former Migros marketing chief, dies
Beat Mühlemann, a prominent Swiss advertising and marketing figure, has died at age 76. His 44-year career included roles at agencies such as M.R. Hofer, TBWA (Paris), Advico Y&R, McCann Erickson, Wirz, Facts and Publicis. He served as Head of Marketing and Communication for Migros from 2000 to 2007, shaping the retailer's marketing presence, and was named “Werber des Jahres” in 2005. Later roles included team leader at Publicitas, CEO of McCann Erickson, and a three-year tenure as director of SAWI. He spent his last seven years living with his wife Verena Lüchinger in France’s Périgord, where they renovated an old manor. Mühlemann came from a family with a graphic-design background and was born and raised in Bern.
Beat Holenstein, APG|SGA Executive, Has Died
Beat Holenstein, a long-serving executive at Swiss outdoor-advertising company APG|SGA, has died. Holenstein joined APG|SGA in 1996 and held multiple leadership roles across marketing, partner & product management, and regional account management. From early 2026 he served on the company's executive management responsible for Marketing. He held an EMBA in Smart and Digital Marketing (2020) and served in governance roles including board member of the Verband Aussenwerbung Schweiz, trustee of Stiftung Lauterkeit, and chairman of SPR+. The obituary was published on August 24, 2026.
Eric Schoeffler appointed CCO at Saatchi & Saatchi Germany
Eric Schoeffler, the former creative chief of Havas Germany, has been appointed Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Saatchi & Saatchi in Germany. The 58-year-old will take over the responsibilities of the previous office-holder Luitgard Hagl and will assume a special role connected to a new major client. The personnel announcement was published on July 6, 2026 in Horizont and reported by Mehrdad Amirkhizi.
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