24 February, 1995
Andrew Robertson is to quit his post as chief executive of WCRS to
become the managing director of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.
Roberton’s move sees Michael Baulk relinquish his title of managing
director at Abbott Mead, while retaining the role of agency chief
executive.
Robertson’s move to Abbott Mead has long been expected and was first
mooted publicly last spring (Campaign, 4 March 1994).
Baulk explained the appointment was driven by a desire to get Robertson
into the agency rather than a need to fill a vacancy. ’Andrew is one of
the best young managers in advertising, which is what Abbott Mead should
be trying to appoint. I have used this post shamelessly as a way to
entice him,’ Baulk said.
Robertson is still negotiating his departure from WCRS, where he has
been chief executive for four-and-a-half years. Baulk said details of
Robertson’s responsibilities would be finalised once he arrived at the
agency. Baulk will now take a greater hand in managing the Abbott Mead
group, which contains ten separate companies.
Despite the loss of his chief executive, the WCRS chairman, Robin Wight,
remained upbeat. ’We will miss Andrew enormously, but he is absolutely
the right man to take Abbott Mead to the number one slot,’ he said.
Robertson and his new boss, Baulk, have been close friends since 1982
when Baulk gave Robertson his first job as a media planner at Ogilvy &
Mather.
