Troika Co-Founders Conor McCaughan & Michael Duff To Depart UK Talent Agency

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Conor McCaughan & Michael Duff, who founded UK talent firm Troika with Melanie Rockcliffe back in 2005, are set to depart the agency by the end of this year, Deadline can confirm.

Neil Rodford the CEO of YMU Group, which owns the agency, sent us the following statement.

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“I can confirm that two of the original founders of Troika, Conor McCaughan and Michael Duff, will be leaving Troika/YMU Drama & Comedy at the end of the year to pursue new endeavours. I want to express our gratitude for all their hard work and wisdom as we have integrated this new division into our group. I also want to place on record my thanks to Conor and Michael for leaving us with such a rich legacy and in the safe hands of our first class, experienced team.”

Troika reps talent including Paddy Considine, Joe Cole, Lena Headey, Peter Capaldi, Graham Norton and Anna Taylor-Joy. No word on if any clients could also be departing. A representative for YMU insisted that the departure of McCaughan and Duff is on good terms and future plans are being ironed out. There are five further directors at Troika including co-founder Rockcliffe who remain in place.

Deadline has reached out to McCaughan and Duff about their future plans. McCaughan is also the CEO of DMC Film, the UK production outfit co-founded with Michael Fassbender which has a first look deal with New Republic Pictures.

YMU Group was born in 2018 when private equity firm Trilantic bought UK agency James Grant Group, which had merged with Troika the year before. In 2019, YMU consolidated its various agencies, covering sports, music, comedy and business representation, under its in-house branding, with Troika the only one not to restyle. Deadline understands that Troika will now rebrand under the YMU moniker but this has not been officially set at this moment.

Variety was first with the news of the departures.

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