TBWA Euro chairman to set up digital agency

Former TBWA Europe chairman Paul Bainsfair is launching a digital advertising agency with his past business partner John Sharkey later in the year. It follows his departure from the Omnicom-owned agency network in March this year.

Bainsfair, who founded the ad agency Bainsfair Sharkey and Trott with Dave Trott and Sharkey in 1990, confirms that he is “looking at a number of things” with Sharkey, who he last worked with nine years ago.

The pair are understood to be working on the launch of a web-based company, which will sell advertising. They are working with Glasgow-based digital agency Dog Digital on strategy.

Bainsfair Sharkey and Trott was acquired by GGT in 1997 and merged with the TBWA network a year later.

Bainsfair’s TBWA future was first put in doubt when a brief for his role was issued (MW March 21). Former Publicis chairman Tim Lindsay was later appointed to cover Bainsfair’s responsibilities as chief executive of TBWA Group UK.

Earlier in the year, Perry Valkenburg was appointed over Bainsfair for the role of European president and worldwide chief operating officer. Following Bainsfair’s departure the network appointed Publicis UK chairman Tim Lindsay to the new role of TBWA Group UK.