Jerry Hill leaves Initiative

Jerry Hill, the former Initiative UK and Ireland chief executive is leaving the network without a job to go to. The news follows the loss of the £75m planning and buying account for Orange after five years, when the telecoms company put it up for pitch and cut the agency from the review.

In another key departure, Dirk Wiedenmann president of EMEA at Initiative, is also leaving as part of a restructure of the network.

Hill, the former chief executive of ITV sales company TSMS, was appointed as the group chief executive of Initiative UK in 2000, after he was made redundant following a merger between its parent United News Media and Granada. At the time, he was faced with the immediate prospect of handling Initiative’s merger with its sister media agency Western.

Earlier this year Hill was appointed to the newly created role of global strategic development director for the Interpublic Group-owned agency following a reshuffle (MW March 13).

As part of the restructure, Graham Duff, who was running sister agency Universal McCann was made in-charge of both UM and Initiative across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Separately, Initiative offices in London were also moved into the same building as UM as part of a cost-cutting exercise to offset recent account losses.

Last summer, Initiative lost the pan-European Johnson & Johnson business which was a huge blow for the network.

In July this year UM worldwide chief executive Nick Brien was promoted to head IPG’s media operations, as first tipped in Marketing Week last year (MW December 5, 2007). Brien was promoted to chief executive and president of new media holding company Mediabrands.