Case Studies

WPP - Recruiting an Interim Managing Director in Advertising - UK

	It was like being given your first two-wheel bike with stabilisers. I benefited frrom Richard's experience, knowledge and skills and sought his advice, and then took the stabilisers off and went freewheeling.
	PETER COWIE, Managing Director, PCI Fitch (part of WPP)

In 2004 WPP, one of the world's largest communications services groups, acquired events company PCI and merged it with its existing business Fitch, the design group. The Managing Director of PCI Fitch left in the midst of the reorganisation, and the company was left rudderless at a time when it was fighting to contain costs and to attract new clients.

Struggling to find the right managing director to stabilise its newly merged business PCI Fitch, WPP turned to Impact Executives for a short-term solution

Impact Executives fielded Richard Owen, a former Nationwide executive with marketing services expertise. While holding the fort he built a more stable operational platform from which to grow the business, and coached his permanent replacement into the role

PCI Fitch regained its confidence and the trust of its clients and has been winning valuable new business ever since

WPP struggled to find a permanent managing director, and turned to Impact Executives, part of the Harvey Nash Group, for some interim help. Impact Executives fielded Richard Owen, a former Nationwide executive, who also had experience with marketing agency Wunderman.

Owen's first task on joining was to firefight a redundancy exercise. He then took control of the company, recovering managerial focus and reinstating financial disciplines. But a large part of his role was to provide a sense of security, stability and reassurance to talented and creative employees whose confidence had been severely dented.

WPP then appointed Peter Cowie from advertising agency JWT as full-time Managing Director. But as his strength lay in winning new business, not running companies, Owen coached him into the role while allowing him the time to focus on winning clients.

Cowie admits the experience was probably one of the best transitions into the role of managing director you could hope to have. "It was like being given your first two-wheeled bike with stabilisers, he recalls. I benefited from Richard's experience, knowledge and skills and sought his advice, and then took the stabilisers off and went freewheeling. It was all very smooth."

He is now building the business from the platform he inherited from Owen. "We have a new sense of confidence, clients are reassured and we are winning new business," he says. "We are even hiring a few people again too."