Longtime advertising executive John J. Dooner Jr. died of heart failure on Dec. 31, 2025 in Jupiter, Fla. He was 77 years old.
Born in 1948 in New Rochelle, N.Y., Dooner spent the majority of his career at McCann, which he joined in 1984 after starting out at Grey Advertising in 1970. There he worked on clients like Coke and Gillette until 1992, when he was promoted to president and CEO of McCann Erickson, a role he remained in until 2000.
In 1997, Dooner formalized McCann Worldgroup as a global network housing agencies including McCann, MRM, Momentum, McCann Health, and Craft, bringing together marketing capabilities under a single umbrella in a changing digital landscape. (The McCann Worldgroup name was sunsetted following Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG in November.)
Dooner was briefly chairman and CEO of McCann’s parent company, Interpublic Group (IPG), from 2000 to 2003, where he led the acquisition of True North, bringing key agencies including FCB and Deutsch into the network.
He then returned to lead McCann Worldgroup as chairman from 2003 to 2011 before becoming Chairman Emeritus.
“John Dooner found his home at McCann and led it into the 20th century with a visionary drive,” said Daryl Lee, chairman of McCann and former CEO of McCann Worldgroup, in a statement 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 said.
In addition to his work at McCann, Dooner was deeply involved in the industry, serving as chairman of the Ad Council, vice chairman of the 4A’s, and working closely with the AEF to support advertising education. 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,” said Tyler Turnbull, global 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.”
