Howcroft set to depart Y&R Brands for TEN

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RUSSELL-HOWCROFT-CANNES.jpgAfter two years in the role, Y&R Brands chief executive Russel Howcroft is set to depart the group – most probably for a senior role at Channel Ten.

When asked by CB back in July, Howcroft, star of The Gruen Transfer, denied he was leaving. CB first got wind of his impending departure from a senior Y&R executive while in Cannes.

The closure of The Campaign Palace, part of Y&R Brands, during Cannes week, was a low point of his two years, and he would also have been disappointed with the sluggish performance of GPY&R Sydney during that time.

However, GPY&R Melbourne has performed well, both in terms of business and creative product. The agency was the star Aussie performer at Cannes this year.

Before taking on the Y&R Brands role, Howcroft was chairman and managing director of GPY&R Melbourne, joining in September 2006.

Before that Howcroft was CEO of The Furnace, the Havas-owed agency he co-founded as Leonardi Brandhouse in 1995. He has also worked for McCann Erickson and Lowe Howard-Spink in London and did a previous stint at George Patterson. He was a former chairman of the Advertising Federation of Australia.

More on this soon…..