CompuServe chief quits suddenly

Alan Lawson, marketing director at the UK’s leading Internet service provider CompuServe, has left the company only three months after joining.

The move comes in the middle of a 10m advertising review that Lawson was conducting. Four agencies, including Leagas Delaney, Bates Dorland and Delaney Fletcher Bozell, are pitching.

CompuServe general manager Martin Turner confirms that Lawson left late last week, but will not say why.

“Alan Lawson is no longer with the company and that is all I am prepared to say,” says Turner. “There are no plans to fill the post at

present.”

Lawson’s responsibilities will be taken over by marketing communications manager Mary Turner.

Lawson had replaced Mike Williams, who was promoted to European marketing director in May. Lawson joined CompuServe from multimedia company Epic, where he was group marketing director.

Turner maintains that Lawson’s departure will not affect the company’s arrangements to take on an advertising agency.

“We will have a pitch-list together in ten days,” he says. “We hope to make an appointment in a month.”

The campaign is not planned to start until after Christmas.