Mourning in the advertising and high-tech world: Talkspace founder and former McCann CEO has passed away
Oren Frank, one of the most prominent figures in the Israeli advertising industry and founder of Talkspace, passed away this morning after a battle with a serious illness. He began his career at McCann in 1997 and was later appointed CEO of the agency alongside Shira Margalit. His wife Roni wrote in a tribute: "He wanted to do something significant and important in his life."
The worlds of high-tech and media are in mourning: Oren Frank, founder of Talkspace and former CEO of the advertising agency McCann-Erickson, passed away this morning (Sunday) in the United States after a battle with a serious illness.
Frank was considered one of the most influential and respected figures in the history of the Israeli advertising industry. He began his professional career at McCann-Erickson in 1997, where he soon became the company's legendary Chief Creative Officer. During his tenure, he cultivated a unique, bold, and fearless advertising culture that pushed Israeli creativity forward.
In 2001, after a successful stint in London as Chief Creative Officer for McCann Europe, Frank returned to Israel. Upon his return, he was promoted to co-CEO of McCann-Erickson, a position he shared with Shira Margalit.
After leaving the world of traditional advertising, Frank turned to entrepreneurship. Together with his partner Roni, he founded Talkspace, a revolutionary online mental health platform that achieved tremendous international success and became a public company traded on Wall Street.
His wife Roni paid tribute to him:
"Oren, the love of my heart, the man of my life, my partner for 30 years, father of our beloved daughters Maya and Sheli, the man I grew up beside since I was 23, and my partner for the journey and for a whole life."
She added that he was also her partner in founding Talkspace for over a decade, noting that he took on the challenge "only because he so wanted to do something significant and important in his life."
"Oren passed away today at 4:48 in the morning, after a heroic battle with brain cancer," she wrote. "He fought the cancer just as he lived his life — with his characteristic elegance, with inspiring acceptance, without drama. Without victimhood. He was the man of men. The love of my life. I and the girls love you with a love that has no end. May your memory be blessed, my beloved."
