Marketing Drive loses Clive Mishon

Clive Mishon, former chairman of the Sales Promotion Consultants Association (SPCA), has quit Marketing Drive. He is understood to be in talks with parent company True North Communications about his future within the group.

Mishon started the agency 12 years ago with Mark Timbrell and was president of Marketing Drive Worldwide, responsible for non-US operations. His reasons for leaving are undisclosed but there appears to have been a difference of opinion about his contract, which still has some time to run.

Insiders speculated that Mishon may take a non-executive role at Marketing Drive, but is unlikely to take another role within True North.

His exit comes as Timbrell, who was Marketing Drive’s chief executive, moves to the US as worldwide chief executive. Managing director Graham King has been promoted to chief executive of London in his place.

Mishon and Timbrell, who had a 50/50 share in Marketing Drive, sold it to True North in February 1998 for an undisclosed sum. Marketing Drive was then named as the agency brand name for a worldwide network of sales promotion agencies.

Mishon – unavailable for comment – was SPCA chairman for two years. He was succeeded by Matthew Hooper, chief executive of Interfocus, last year (MW September 28).