Haines, the agency's chairman, is leaving with no job to go to after months of discussion which culminated in a terse statement issued on Wednesday. It read: "Bruce Haines is to leave Leagas Delaney after mutually agreeing that there wasn't a meaningful or satisfying role, now that the agencies in Paris, Rome, Hamburg and San Francisco have been successfully established in their local markets."
Delaney stated: "I have worked closely with Bruce on and off for the past 15 years -- I have valued his contribution on both a professional and personal level and wish him well for the future, particularly in his role at the IPA."
Haines' exit will not necessarily pave the way for the appointment of a new chairman. Delaney said: "Titles do not matter to me but a new chairman, if appointed, will come from within the company."
Haines said: "I look back on my time at the agency with pride. I've worked with some of the best agency people and clients in the business and I look forward to taking up another challenge as fulfilling."
Leagas Delaney's expansion plans were put on hold in June this year following the collapse of its proposed takeover by the Canadian marketing services group Envoy Communications. Leagas Delaney's largest client, Adidas, is seeking a network to handle its $100 million-plus global account and the agency has teamed up with DDB for the ongoing pitch while its rival roster shop 180 has linked with TBWA\.
A year ago, the agency put in place a management restructure that left the UK office in the care of four newly named creative directors and two new joint managing directors, Justin Bairamian and Colin Clarke. The shake-up brought new roles for Delaney and Haines, who swapped job titles.
Haines succeeded HHCL's Rupert Howell this year as the president of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising and has embarked on an
energetic reform of the body to help improve communications between the creative community and the IPA.
He is also working with the IPA director-general, Hamish Pringle, in proposing the creation of a "supergroup" trade body to become the voice of Britain's entire communications industry (±±¾©Èü³µpk10, last week).
The IPA's constitution stipulates that its president must work for a member agency, but it contains a clause that there can be a six-month grace period if a president leaves a job mid-term.
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