16 July, 1993
Jackie Boulter, the planning director of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and
chair of the industry planning body, the Account Planning Group, this
week introduced a set of awards designed to recognise planners’
contribution to creative excellence.
The APG awards, to be judged later this year, will honour planners whose
work has been a catalyst for top creative work.
Boulter said: ’We decided to set up the scheme because there are no
other awards that recognise planners and what planners can do. We want
to show how good creative work can spring from inspired strategic
thinking.’
Boulter was appointed planning director at AMV in February 1987 to
replace Leslie Butterfield, who had left in January to launch his own
agency.
At the time, following the departure the previous year of Gary
Duckworth, Boulter was the only planner with a seat on the Abbott Mead
board.
After her appointment, Boulter said she didn’t anticipate immediate
changes in the planning department, although she said that recruiting
staff will be a priority.
The agency has no imminent plans to appoint a deputy planning director
for Boulter, who has been with AMV for five years and on the board for
the past two.
Boulter, 35, was previously a senior planner at Butler Dennis Garland
and formerly worked in market research. Michael Baulk, the chief
executive of Abbott Mead, described her promotion as ’a natural
progression’.
With 26 planners in the department, AMV has one of the highest ratios of
planners to other staff.
