Top Lintas management row over agency merger

Senior management at the Lintas group of agencies are in conflict over the future structure of the business.

Staff at SP Lintas, whose chairman is Anthony Simonds-Gooding, were told last week that the agency would merge with Lintas i, the agency created when Lintas Worldwide bought Kevin Morley Marketing in June (MW June 2). Its main business is the 100m Rover cars account.

The plans were announced to staff on Friday last week but had not been cleared with Terry Rosenquist, Lintas Worldwide chairman Europe, who was in New York and returned to a fait accompli. Lintas i reports to Rosenquist, while SP Lintas reports to Lintas head office in New York.

Agency sources suggest Rosenquist was furious at the move, which he considered premature.

Publicly he says that certain moves are under consideration but that nothing has been decided and he will first have to agree any changes with Lintas Worldwide chairman Martin Puris.

Sources also suggest staff were told that Lintas i managing director Paul Jackson would become joint managing director SP Lintas with SP Lintas chief executive Richard Hytner.

The planning director of SP Lintas Paul Edwards would become joint planning director of the agency alongside the deputy managing director of Lintas i, Gerald Kreinczes.