Ian Schoolar quits NatWest for IR

NatWest Bank’s head of brand advertising, Ian Schoolar, is quitting to join the Inland Revenue as its first marketing director.

Industry speculation has been rife over Schoolar’s role at NatWest, following the takeover of the bank by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Schoolar says his move has not been triggered by the merger.

His appointment forms part of a new communications initiative for the Inland Revenue. His role will include developing customer communications as well as handling its press relations and advertising. He will report to Inland Revenue chairman Nick Montagu when he joins the department in January.

Schoolar joined NatWest in 1991 from National Power (now nPower) where he was the corporate commun-ication manager. At NatWest he was in charge of a &£50m advertising budget.

Schoolar says: “I will be looking at developing the department as a service brand. This is the first time that the department has appointed a marketing director and it is a fascinating challenge.”

Schoolar, who refuses to be drawn on the issue of agencies, says: “It is too early to discuss agencies. I need to do my homework to understand the department first.”

The Inland Revenue roster of agencies currently includes Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper, Grey Advert-ising, St Luke’s, Ogilvy & Mather and Cramm Francis Woolf.

TBWA GGT Simons Palmer handles the creative account for NatWest and Schoolar recently appointed M&C Saatchi to create a new &£5m television relaunch campaign for NatWest as the RBS subsidiary.

He says: “Both TBWA and M&C Saatchi are good agencies and I would like to work with them again.”