Wilding leaves PPHN as Fiddes steps up

Martin Wilding, managing director of direct marketing agency PPHN, has left after only seven months and joint creative director Mark Fiddes has taken on the role of managing partner.

Wilding’s departure comes at the end of a long line of senior management defections which began last June when joint managing directors Barbara Nicoll and Karen Lee left after only five months at the agency.

Two months later, chief executive and co-founder Stewart Pearson was forced out and replaced by Wilding, who arrived from SMS Communications and took a financial stake in PPHN (MW August 19).

In February, two senior staff, Steve Paterson and Sally Hitchman, left to head a new direct marketing division for Oxford-based Marketing Principles.

Fiddes, who was hired from HHCL & Partners in February (MW February 3), says: “Wilding had certain objectives, not all of which have been fulfilled”.

Fiddes also says the agency is in the midst of a restructuring programme which is creating a management group rather than a hierarchy – one which Fiddes claims “serves egos but not necessarily clients”.

IMP account director Steven Brewer has joined PPHN. Fiddes says one other “high-level” IMP staff member will be joining.

The new structure makes joint creative director Ian Haworth a creative partner. Client services director Sandra Keeling becomes client partner and production director Joy Robinson is creative services partner.

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