No chief of Europe for FutureBrand

FutureBrand’s new global chief executive Jean-Louis Dumeu (pictured) will not be appointing a European chief executive to fill the hole left by the departure of Charles Trevail.

FutureBrand’s new global chief executive Jean-Louis Dumeu (pictured below) will not be appointing a European chief executive to fill the hole left by the departure of Charles Trevail.

Prior to Dumeu’s arrival, FutureBrand had been holding interviews with senior design and branding industry bosses to fill Trevail’s shoes, after he unexpectedly left the group last year to set up Promise (DW 3 July 2003).

The former Landor Associates European chief executive Dumeu, who replaced John Elkins at the helm of FutureBrand in March (DW 11 March), says there will be no head of Europe for the Interpublic-owned branding network, for the forseeable future.

‘I do not intend to create that position [of European chief executive], not for the time being, certainly not this year,’ says Dumeu.

In London this week to outline the strategy for the somewhat lacklustre UK arm of the business, Dumeu aims to return the group to short term growth with immediate measures to ‘improve the top line’.

‘We should see the first results by the end of the year. Once we deliver against our plan, we will then be in a position to [recruit],’ Dumeu says.

Dumeu believes FutureBrand has strengths in the areas of brand innovation and strategy that have been hitherto ‘ignored’.

‘My role is to refocus on those strengths,’ he says. ‘I truly believe that the winners [in branding] will be those who have a true understanding of innovation.’

FutureBrand’s chief operating officer role, held by Libby Child, was made redundant in March (DW 18 March).

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