FCB NZ ceo Brian van den Hurk has today announced that he will be retiring in early 2017, after 40 years in the agency business, including 28 years at FCB locally and offshore.
“The agency is in excellent shape and I will leave my team probably stronger than ever and with a reputation which is the envy of the marketplace,” he said. “I have loved all of the 23 years I have spent at FCB NZ where we’ve experienced consistent growth and continually evolved the business.
“However there comes a time to step back from the pace of our industry, move on to new challenges and do something a bit different. I have several projects including a tech startup that I plan to pursue so I’m excited about that.”
FCB NZ chair Bryan Crawford said (in a statement): “Brian has had an outstanding career with FCB, working with clients on some of our most successful campaigns. He established our Wellington business and grew our portfolio of Government clients before being appointed managing director and then ceo. We wish him well.”
FCB International president Sebastien Desclee said: “FCB New Zealand is considered one of the flagship offices in FCB’s global network and a search, both local and internationally, will commence for a new CEO.”
Top business journo joins NBR
NBR is ending the year on a high, with strong growth of its online subscriptions and continued investment in editorial staff.
Multi-award winning, veteran business journalist Fiona Rotherham is the latest appointment to the Auckland newsroom, following Karyn Scherer who joined the team in August.
Rotherham will arrive in NBR’s newsroom fulltime in February after finishing a stint with business wire agency BusinessDesk.
NBR Online said: “She joins New Zealand’s largest business newsroom at a time the publication’s subscription-based website is enjoying its strongest, most sustained period of growth since its pioneering paywall was introduced in 2009.
“Individual paid member subscribers recently passed 4600 and are on track to top 5000 in the New Year, representing 20% annual growth.
NBR also saw its print readership rise by 36% year-on-year to 41,000 a week, bucking the industry trend.
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