Following news of the departure of CHE's chief Mark Coad, the agency has appointed Clemenger Proximity general manager Chris Howatson as managing partner and rebranded to CHE Proximity.
AdNews revealed today that Coad will move to PHD and national chief executive in August.
Coad told AdNews Howatson was the most logical choice of successor for him at CHE.
“He is a real quality operator,” Coad said. “When I sat down with Rob [Morgan, chairman of The Clemenger Group], the group didn't have to look far to find the right person for the job.”
With Howatson moving to CHE, it appears the Clemenger Proximity brand will fall to the wayside. For some time, much of the brand's staff and clients have been through an integration process with Clemenger BBDO.
Some months ago, it was revealed CHE was to be renamed to Clemenger Harvie, although it appears these plans will no longer come to fruition.
Coad's move to PHD follows the departure of PHD chief Barry O'Brien, who has moved to Network Ten as sales boss.
However, Coad's remit is wider than O'Brien's. Coad will oversee the PHD offices in both Melbourne and Sydney, as well as overseeing media agency Foundation.
CHE's biggest clients are Mazda and Foxtel.
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