Joan McArthur, senior vice-president, executive creative director of McCann-Erickson Advertising in Toronto, has left the agency three years after her much-heralded arrival from Ogilvy & Mather in Los Angeles.

A statement from McCann President Gunnar Wilmot says the parting was mutually agreed upon and he attributed the move to ‘philosophical differences on the future creative direction for the agency.’

McArthur says she was taken by surprise by the development, but adds:

‘I truly believe a manager should be free to build a team that he’s comfortable with.

‘I am proud that this [Canadian] office was recently voted best of region on the basis of its creative product,’ she says.

(The award is part of an internal global competition involving the McCann worldwide operation. The Canadian office was voted best within the North American region.)

For the moment, McArthur says she intends to take a holiday, ‘and then we’ll see. I want to take some time to figure things out.’

Stu Eaton, the agency’s chairman emeritus and creative director of many years, will fill the post until a replacement is found.

McArthur’s successor will come from within the Canadian ad industry.

Another surprise departure took place last week when John Lee tendered his resignation as president of Franklin Dallas Advertising, Toronto.

Lee has other plans, possibly the start-up of a new agency, but he would not be more specific.

Meanwhile, Bill Martin, co-creative director at J. Walter Thompson in Toronto, will join Young & Rubicam in Toronto on Dec. 7 to work with Leif Nielsen, y&r’s deputy creative director.

Paul Mead has also left jwt to join FCB/Ronalds-Reynolds as executive vice-president chief financial officer.

Elsewhere, Taylor-Tarpay Direct Advertising of Toronto has added a trio of high-profile direct marketers to its staff roster.

Database manager Bob Stacey, client services veteran Nick King and creative director George Matey joined Taylor-Tarpay last week after departing suddenly from the Direct Solutions Group.

And in another move involving a Toronto ad agency, Darcia Joseph, a senior account executive with Miller Myers Bruce DallaCosta, has moved to the client side as vice-president marketing at Toronto-based Eaton’s department stores.