Maher Bird to lose two more top men

Stephen Deput and Phil Bird, founding partners and joint creative directors at Maher Bird Associates, are about to quit the agency.

The move comes less than two months after planning director Mark Tomblin was ousted, and means only chief executive Stephen Maher remains out of the four original founders.

In the past few weeks five other members of staff have left the Simons Palmer Clemmow Johnson spin-off: account director Mary-Lou Hamill-Stewart, planner Caroline Taylor, and senior copywriter Stuart Woodington, plus two junior account managers Lise Hencken and Ann Cyron.

Deput refuses to comment. Bird is currently on holiday. Sources suggest their decision to leave involves the break-up of the original partnership, where all four founders held an equal stake.

Maher, who recently assumed the title chief executive instead of managing director, says the company has hired Annette Fox as a senior account manager from DDB Australia, and plans to announce more appointments, including a new planning director.

He refuses to comment on Bird or Deput’s departure.