Ulrich Pallas (1963 – 2024)
Shock for the German advertising scene: Ulrich Pallas, one of the best-known and most popular agency managers, is dead. The 60-year-old died completely unexpectedly of a heart attack on the night from Friday to Saturday. He most recently worked as CFO of the Mercedes agency Team X.
First of all, a disclaimer: An important requirement in journalism is professional distance – from companies, associations, organizations, but also from even the most sympathetic people. In the case of Ulrich Pallas, this was not easy for the author. I think I can say that a friendship has developed over the years (that’s true, Uli, right?). If the following lines are missing the spacing here and there, I ask for your indulgence.
Pallas was formally head of finance. And he looked like one too, as much impudence is allowed even in an obituary. He was unfamiliar with the cramped efforts of some advertisers to appear cool and casual no matter what. He didn’t need that. He scored points differently: with his warm, humorous, clever and always human nature. He had an encouraging and friendly word for everyone – regardless of whether they were board members, creative superstars or gatekeepers.
At the same time, he was a razor-sharp analyst who knew how to precisely classify what was happening in the agency industry (including internationally). And he was always well informed. There was hardly any “news” that Uli didn’t already know. The fact that someone could tell him something about the agency world that he hadn’t heard of before was an absolute exception. He never came across as a know-it-all, even though he was a master in his field. Hardly any finance manager in the German agency landscape understood and understands his job as well as he does. Some buyers on the client side, with whom he negotiated the conditions, can also speak a song about this.
But Pallas was much more than an experienced financial manager. During his most important positions, Jung von Matt and later Thjnk, he was an important cultural bearer – not necessarily a typical trait for a CFO. But if an employee wanted to speak out in confidence, Pallas was the first port of call. No wonder that everywhere he went there was a big gap, not only professionally but also in human terms.
Everywhere Ulrich Pallas went, there was a big gap, not only from a professional perspective, but also from a human perspective.
Mehrdad Amirkhizi
Pallas himself had to suffer severe blows of fate. His wife died far too early. That hit him hard. But he got back on his feet. He also stepped up his game professionally. After he left Jung von Matt in 2016 after 15 years, he moved to Thjnk and made a significant contribution to getting the agency out of its financial difficulties at the time and finding a new investor in WPP. He most recently made his home at the Mercedes agency Team X. After studying business administration in Göttingen, he began his professional career in the agency world as Finance Director at Ogilvy. He was a good fit for the agency that was looking for “gentlemen with brains.” With Pallas came a gentleman who not only had brains, but also a lot of heart. Later stations were KNSK/BBDO, Lowe Lintas, briefly OMD and then the Jung von Matt agency, which became a second home for him. The founders Holger Jung and Jean-Remy von Matt could rely on him. Their star also shone so brightly because CFO Pallas had their backs – and not just in the commercial area.
In his private life, the manager, who had a wide range of cultural, political and social interests, was an ardent supporter of FC St. Pauli. He occasionally watched the games of his favorite club in the stadium, but mostly in his local bar. He was convinced that it would bring happiness. It’s a shame that he can no longer witness the club’s possible promotion to the first Bundesliga. That he’s no longer there, anyway. Forza Uli!
2024-01-13 16:17:31
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