Chronicle Summer 2024

16 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Guest of Honour Chris Macdonald OSE We were delighted to welcome Chris Macdonald OSE as Guest of Honour at Gaudy this year. Chris was in Cowell’s from 1980 to 1985.

What are your favourite memories from your time at School? The Shell House Play is a favourite, if painful, memory. My brother was the director for our House Play and he attempted the ambitious The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew . There was no nepotism, as I was the second soldier on the left in most scenes. On the night I forgot the one line I had been given, much to my brother’s frustration. I never forgot a line in any future school or university plays or speeches, thanks to that experience. Rowing has always been massively important at Teddies and I was lucky enough to be in the U16 VIII competing at the National Head of the River. The weather on the day was appalling with torrential rain and strong winds. We were a good crew but certainly not amongst the favourites. We watched on nervously as heavier crews sank or ground to a halt in the middle of the Thames, trying to navigate the conditions. Luckily we were a very lightweight crew and by focusing on our collective determination not to sink or drown, we somehow won in our class.

Chris has spent over 30 years in the advertising industry, starting in London as a graduate trainee and most recently based in New York as the Global CEO of McCann. In his role as the CEO of McCann, Chris led one of the biggest advertising communication networks in the world with offices in over 100 countries, with over 10,000 employees and partnering with some of the world’s biggest and most prestigious brands. During his career, Chris has worked across every business sector and with brands like Microsoft, Mastercard, Coca Cola and many others. In his ten years in New York, Chris helped to transform the network’s head office to become the most awarded agency in the US for both creativity and effectiveness. This culminated in McCann being named Adweek North America Network of the year in 2017 and Chris being named Advertising Executive of the year in the Delaney Report. The ultimate accolade came in 2019 when McCann was made Cannes Network of the Year. Chris was the Chair of the Advertising Education Foundation in New York for five years, focusing on building bridges between academia, students and the marketing industry with an emphasis on developing future diverse talent. As he says often, he is not retired but currently resting, before deciding on his next career move. Chris has three

Chris Macdonald in Ball Boys , July 1984

What did you take away from Teddies? How did it shape your adult life? Teddies gave me a self-confidence that I could do anything I wanted to do. This wasn’t arrogance, but came from the way the School created an environment in which you could discover your super power - whether academic, artistic or sporting (or all three!). The culture of Teddies was built on informality, mutual respect and humour. You were never treated like a child or patronised. I have definitely carried these traits with me in my personal and professional life.

grown-up children with Sarah and they now divide their time between London and East Sussex. We grabbed Chris as he came off stage to quiz him about his time at Teddies.

Cowell's 1985 - Chris Macdonald fourth from left, bottom row