Jobs go at PSD as it gains Fitch branding

It has emerged that two PSD design directors have been made redundant in the week that Cordiant Communications Group launches its global branding and design network.

According to a Fitch Worldwide spokeswoman, the redundancies are not related to the Fitch rebranding and are confined to PSD. The directors are ‘in talks’ to find opportunities within CCG.

CCG is this week uniting all its design interests under the Fitch brand, as exclusively revealed in Design Week (DW 16 August).

Fitch Worldwide chief executive officer Paul Stead says that it will seek to preserve the individuality of each consultancy. The group will offer 2D identity capabilities and 3D product, retail and environmental design services.

The consultancies that are now under the Fitch Worldwide umbrella are AAD, Bamber Forsyth, Decision Shop, Fitch, GE Fitch, Leonhardt Group, Peclers Paris, Primo Angeli, PSD and Bates design subsidiaries in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong and Australia.

The individual consultancies will take the Fitch brand name after their name.

Three other PSD designers were made redundant last week, according to PSD managing director Mark Southwood.

No further redundancies are planned within Fitch Worldwide, says Stead, but he has not ruled it out. ‘The businesses are doing well in difficult conditions,’ he adds.