Tracy-Locke Chairman Retires at 49

Tracy-Locke, the ad agency that recently lost its biggest client, Taco Bell, on Thursday lost its chairman and chief creative officer, Phil Slott, to retirement.

In a statement, Slott, 49, said he was leaving the Los Angeles office of the Dallas-based ad agency, “to move to Hawaii and make my long-time fantasy a reality.”

“My decision is strictly personal,” said Slott, who joined the agency last year following several years at BBDO/London, where he was chairman and chief executive. “I have always wanted to write, I have always wanted to train for the Ironman Triathlon and I have always wanted to travel in Asia.”

Slott said his retirement was unrelated to recent problems at Tracy-Locke, which last month lost the $60-million national advertising business of Taco Bell. The agency still creates ads for various Taco Bell franchise groups.

Dan Michel, president of Tracy-Locke/Los Angeles, will take over many of Slott’s duties and continue to report to Howard Davis, president and chief executive of Tracy-Locke Inc.