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Bates UK’s below-the-line agency, 141 Communications, has suffered

another senior resignation with the departure of Drew Mensah, the head

of data planning, who is joining Bronner Slosburg Humphrey UK.

Mensah will initially take up the position of database services manager,

reporting to the database services director, Jamie Mallinger, who has

come over from Bronner in the US. Mensah will be groomed to replace

Mallinger on his return to the US, which is likely to be early next

year.

Before joining Bates Communications - as it was then known - Mensah

worked on both the agency and supplier sides, with respective stints at

DDM and Acxiom making up part of his CV.

Mensah began talking to Bronner before all the changes occurred at

Bates, when the below-the-line shops, Bates Communications and 141, were

merged under the new chairman, Graham Green. However, once the exodus of

senior staff had begun, Mensah expressed his desire to leave the

agency.

’141 Communications is not the agency I joined,’ he said. ’It has lost

its way and it is likely to be at least nine months to a year before

things start to pick up once again.’

Bronner, the US’s largest independent direct marketing agency, has

opened its doors in the UK with business from BT Cellnet and American

Express, and it is thought that a third major client has been signed up.

The operation is being overseen by the managing director, Alistair

Ross-Russell, although a creative director is being sought after the

incumbent, Martin McDonald, moved back to the US.

Mensah said: ’Bronner is completely devoted to customer relationship

marketing, way beyond the current UK offer. The agency really wants to

go places - and it will.’