My friend Terry Wheeler, who has died aged 85, was well known and loved throughout the media industry. He became media director of a highly successful 1960s advertising agency, Gallagher Smail, while still in his 20s, a youthful achievement he looked to encourage in others, especially through his role in the Media Circle, a training organisation running courses for young people aspiring to work in media advertising.
After Gallagher Smail merged with the US agency Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1971, Terry often found himself in conflict with his creative director. Creatives had the power to overrule considerations of cost efficiency if they regarded the medium as too small (for instance Readers Digest) or too unfashionable (outdoor posters). Terry managed to use his charm and considerable persuasive skills to win his fair share of arguments. He ran a happy and successful department and used his industry contacts to win clients including the Times, Punch (through his good friend Alan Coren) and Ladbrokes.
In 1984 Terry moved to a senior role at Mallett McCormick, where he built a close relationship with their client Selfridges, and was involved with the agency’s successful merger with Foote Cone and Belding in 1988. Later he was involved in rebuilding the confidence of advertisers in the effectiveness of posters. He finally retired in 2003.
His love of sport was well known. As well as being a very vocal supporter of Fulham FC, he could also be found at the Oval supporting Surrey cricket club and would attend all five days of the Oval Test. He took up golf with great gusto in his middle age but soon discovered there was more joy and fulfilment to be had in the club house, a pint of ale in one hand and a copy of the Guardian in the other, rather than being out on the course.
At the advertising media based golf society SWIGS (South West One Golf Society), he soon became captain and later president. True to form he introduced many young advertising media people to the benefits of a golf society (and of course the 19th hole). He went on to act as honorary secretary for many years and events would be characterised by outbursts of singing, led more often than not by Terry.
Terry had a wide range of interests. He enjoyed visits to art exhibitions with his group of cronies, nicknamed the Kulture Klub, trips to Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in Soho, and fell walking in the Lake District.
He was born in Lambeth, London, the son of Ellen, a secretary for the J Lyons food and restaurant giant, and Walter, who worked in print for the newspaper industry. Terry won a scholarship to Latymer Upper school in Hammersmith, and then, during his national service with the RAF, he was a radar operator at Beachy Head in East Sussex. In 1961, he married June Hance, who supported him wonderfully throughout the years.
She survives him, along with their daughter, Tracey, and son, Derek, and two grandchildren, Ellen and Larry.
