Postar managing director follows chairman out of door

Richard Holliday, managing director of poster research system Postar, has resigned while the outdoor contractor industry is still in the throes of replacing its chairman.

The organisation, which is jointly funded by outdoor contractors and specialists, has had a number of difficulties, relating mainly to arguments over how much each contributor should pay.

Ironically, its research has also been criticised for being too honest. Unlike other types of media research, Postar measures the number of people who look at panels, rather than simply opportunities to see them.

Holliday’s decision to quit comes three months after Chris Dickens, former Postar chairman and worldwide director of Young & Rubicam, left to set up his own outdoor business.

It has been suggested that Holliday will join Dickens.

Holliday says: “It has been a very stimulating experience but the time is right for an orderly handover to someone more technically minded, so that Postar’s advanced methodology can be further enhanced.”

Annie Rickard, chief executive of poster specialist Posterscope and chairman of the Council of Outdoor Specialists, says: “Holliday has made a significant input into the research.”

Holliday will leave early next year after more than two years as the full-time managing director. He was responsible for overseeing the modification of the poster research system, and for resolving a wrangle over the rights to research software.

Previously, he was director general of the Outdoor Advertising Association.