Longtime promoting government John J. Dooner Jr. died of coronary heart failure on Dec. 31, 2025 in Jupiter, Fla. He was 77 years outdated.
Born in 1948 in New Rochelle, N.Y., Dooner spent the vast majority of his profession at McCann, which he joined in 1984 after beginning out at Grey Advertising in 1970. There he labored on purchasers like Coke and Gillette till 1992, when he was promoted to president and CEO of McCann Erickson, a task he remained in till 2000.
In 1997, Dooner formalized McCann Worldgroup as a worldwide community housing companies together with McCann, MRM, Momentum, McCann Health, and Craft, bringing collectively advertising capabilities underneath a single umbrella in a altering digital panorama. (The McCann Worldgroup identify was sunsetted following Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG in November.)
Dooner was briefly chairman and CEO of McCann’s guardian firm, Interpublic Group (IPG), from 2000 to 2003, the place he led the acquisition of True North, bringing key companies together with FCB and Deutsch into the community.
He then returned to steer McCann Worldgroup as chairman from 2003 to 2011 earlier than turning into Chairman Emeritus.
“John Dooner found his home at McCann and led it into the 20th century with a visionary drive,” mentioned Daryl Lee, chairman of McCann and former CEO of McCann Worldgroup, in an announcement shared with ADWEEK. He added that Dooner’s creation of McCann Worldgroup “set the template for the industry’s continued evolution to this day.”
“We will always proudly stand in his shadow,” he mentioned.
In addition to his work at McCann, Dooner was deeply concerned within the trade, serving as chairman of the Ad Council, vice chairman of the 4A’s, and dealing intently with the AEF to help promoting training. He was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 2019.
“John is one of the truly unique leaders who shaped and defined the industry we all work in today. Across McCann, we are proud and honored to stand on the platform he built,” mentioned Tyler Turnbull, international CEO of McCann. “All of us will continue to innovate and evolve in service of what is best for our clients and our people—just as John did during his incredible career.”