Despite the rather intimate nature of the industry, headhunting plays a vital role in the smooth running of the business, albeit a costly one - particularly when staff churn for many agencies runs well into double figures.
So it's interesting to see that Jay Haines, son of Gay, is plotting the launch of a new ad industry headhunting company (page 3). Not because his (and his mother's) former company, Kendall Tarrant, doesn't do a fine job, but because the ad business needs more choice.
Although there are a number of smaller outfits, such as The Garden, Kendall Tarrant only had one real competitor, Stolkin + Partners, until it snapped up this rival earlier this year.
As the acknowledged grande dame of headhunting, Gay Haines has a powerful position in the industry and an army of loyal senior executive supporters. How involved she will be in her son's venture remains to be seen, but the return of the Haines name to the headhunting game will be welcome by many in the industry.
.jpg)
.png)
