Restructure at Interbrand as splinter group breaks away

Three senior Interbrand staff are leaving to form their own breakaway consultancy in the new year.

Creative directors Andy Howell and Jonathan Hubbard, and head of verbal identity Pete Dewar, will leave Interbrand in February to set up the consultancy, which will be’a creative business, within branding but not in direct competition with Interbrand’, according to Hubbard.

The new venture, which is yet to be named, will be London-based.

Interbrand managing director Graham Hales insists the move is amicable. ‘They’ve given a combined 33 years of service, and we’ve all enjoyed working together. They just want to do something different,’ says Hales.

‘I’m very excited, but sad to be leaving,’ Hubbard adds.

The three will be replaced, says Hales, adding, ‘It gives us the opportunity to review our creative leadership.’

Last March, Hales took over from Interbrand’s then UK chief executive Rune Gustafson, who left the consultancy in a move he described as ‘very amicable’, and based on ‘differences of opinion on how the business is moving forward’.

In January, Rob Riley will join Interbrand from Blue Marlin as creative director to the fmcg team, succeeding Daniella Nunzi Mihranian, who leaves the consultancy at the end of the year to join Jones Knowles Ritchie. Riley will be ‘leading creative product projects’, says Hales.

Meanwhile, Blue Marlin has confirmed that it is restructuring its creative department and will announce the appointment of two new members of staff shortly.
Blue Marlin global creative director Martin Grimer says, ‘Riley’s departure gives us the opportunity to review the structure of the London team and to deploy resources where we need them most.’

New year, new consultancy

• Creative directors Andy Howell and Jonathan Hubbard, and head of verbal identity Pete Dewar will leave Interbrand to set up their own consultancy
• Blue Marlin creative director Rob Riley leaves to join Interbrand as creative director to the fmcg team
• Riley replaces Daniella Nunzi Mihranian, who will leave to join Jones Knowles Ritchie in the new year