Every time someone comes to me and says they need someone on an assignment, they say “George would be perfect for this.”

Leslie Sims
Chief Creative Office, NA
Ogilvy

George was the ECD, creative life force, CEO whisperer, and team mentor for a large and challenging client at R/GA. As a creative leader he had the breadth we value at R/GA; from powerful story telling to systematic savvy. He also has a rare depth; from the most sophisticated strategic sensibility to the most rigorously crafted creative. George is my favorite type of ECD. He doesn’t need to be managed. If you leave him alone, great work will happen. When you check in with him, you learn more than he does.

Nick Law
VP, Marcom Integration at Apple
(Former CCO at R/GA)

I can recommend George in the most glowing terms. He is a writer’s writer, and easily the most literate fellow that ever passed through the hallowed halls of Ogilvy, probably including David Ogilvy himself. That said, he’s also a leader. Here he had to work with a tremendous diversity of talent, from people who were hired more for their technical skill than creative ability to general agency creatives who’d never even seen a computer. George brought these wildly different people together, focused them on the task at hand, and kept the calm through many a storm. He’s also a superb strategist. His highest focus is on solving clients’ problems. I will warn you that rather than slavishly following a brief, George will try to get a grasp of what the core issues are come up with truly media neutral solutions. In fact, he was one of the first proponents around here of take-it-to-the-streets marketing. Of course, you know about his extensive background in direct marketing. He’s very focused on changing behavior, but he also has a talent for changing beliefs. In short, I think he would be an excellent choice for your company. If you’d like more in person, or have other specific questions, I’ll be happy to talk.

Steve Hayden
Vice Chairman (retired)
Ogilvy

Give George the most complex tangle of product facts and communications objectives and by 8.30am – as the rest of the agency yawns awake – George will have transformed the “brief” into copy that not only inspires and delights the audience, but fills both client and agency colleagues with sheer pride to work on the account.

Beyond his magical copywriting talents, George is also part-time Planning lead: more strategic challenges are solved at his desk than by the entire Planning department. George is a true creative leader. He articulates sophisticated creative strategy in the simplest of words, rallying teams around him. But also makes the time to patiently hear the views of others, nurturing talent and ideas. It is my very great privilege to work with George.

Eva Augusten
Group Planning Director
Ogilvy

George Tannenbaum shatters mediocrity between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand while bringing worlds to life in his right. George Tannenbaum guides us down dark, complex, paths to make sure our clients – and all of us – arrive at new, creative Valhallahs. George Tannenbaum never fails at this journey. Ever. So my team and I follow him. Always. If you are not on the phone calling George to create ideas amplified with the radiance of a thousand suns that burst into the sky all at once – then somebody else is.

Brian Collins
Chief Creative Officer
COLLINS

I have had the opportunity to work with George for a number of years now

We have partnered on PCD and Servers primarily. I say “partnered” because that is what it is like with George. He fully embraces the clients and their business in a way that I have never seen before from a creative partner.

He doesn’t make a distinction between creative & account- but has more of a holistic view of the business and is always seeking new ways to solve client issues.

George is a really smart guy…

He is the kind of guy that really thinks about what he is doing, and what the smartest solution is for the clients business-not creative for creative sake

Whenever he presents to clients, he always leaves them with a feeling of “this guy really gets my business” and they have a great deal of trust and respect for him

On a personal level- I could not ask for a better creative partner- he is a terrific manager to his team and treats my team (at whatever level) with respect and patience. I never worry about throwing difficult or seemingly insignificant tasks George’s way-because I know whatever the challenge he will take it seriously.

I feel that the integration challenge is sometimes an impossible one, but no matter how frustrating it can be-you can always rely on George to find a way to make it work with the extended 360 partners. You don’t get that kind of dedication to a common cause from many other areas.

So I hope that I leave you with the impression that George has provided an absolutely invaluable contribution to what has made the PCD and Server partnerships work…because we could never have achieved what we have without him!

Sally Kissane
Managing Director
Ogilvy Australia