From his office overlooking the media hub of London's Golden Square, Clear Channel Outdoor's new president, William Eccleshare, oversees a vast media company spanning 26 markets and generating revenues of $370m a quarter, despite the recession. Or he would if he spent any time there.
Since joining the outdoor giant seven weeks ago, Eccleshare has visited 15 of the 26 markets in which Clear Channel operates and says he is determined to visit them all by Christmas. He doesn't anticipate spending too much time in the UK, which he says is "good news for the UK business".
The role of international head was brought back to Clear Channel Outdoor's structure this year. It had originally been abandoned prior to the company's takeover by private equity groups Bain Capital and Thomas H Lee and Partners in 2008.
Eccleshare's remit is to share learning and develop best practice across the company's markets outside the US. With more than 30 years' experience in the advertising industry, he joined Clear Channel from BBDO, where he was chief executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Before that, Eccleshare was European chief executive at Young & Rubicam and he professes to love the travelling that comes with top-level jobs - which is a good thing, because the second time Media Week speaks to him, he is calling from a snowy street in Copenhagen.
One of Eccleshare's first tasks will be to appoint a chief executive for the UK and Ireland, following the departure of Barry Sayer for his native South Africa in October. Sayer's wider role of regional president for the UK, Middle East and Africa will not be taken on by the new chief executive, but Eccleshare doesn't think Sayer's departure had anything to do with him being appointed to the new role.
Eccleshare is considering both internal and external candidates and is encouraged by how many high-quality people have approached him directly about the post. Managing director Rob Atkinson is acting chief executive in the interim and
Eccleshare says Clear Channel's strategy for the UK this year - expanding its digital malls and reducing the number of 48-sheets - was "sensible".
Quality billboards
He insists: "There will always be a space for great 48-sheet sites - we're very clear about that. I am committed to billboards, but only to quality billboards, and if you overextend the inventory, you run the risk of ending up with a low-quality tail."
Last week, Eccleshare announced a new executive board for Clear Channel, which he says will be a "resource" for the 26 countries covered by Clear Channel International. He says new international marketing director Pru Parkinson and sales director Hubert Janvier will "significantly upgrade" Clear Channel's ability to communicate what it stands for and sell more effectively.
"We are trying to become a world-class company that learns from what other markets are doing, shares best practice and provides seamless solutions," he explains. "There is an increased trend towards clients wanting to operate on an international basis and we should do anything we can to help them."
Eccleshare has always had a passion for out-of-home, and the first ad he sold was a KitKat poster back in 1979. He says: "Outdoor is the purest form of communication. If the idea works on a poster, then you know you've got a good idea. In one sense, outdoor is the oldest medium, as people have always stuck bits of paper on a wall, but in another sense it is one of the great new media."
Eccleshare believes his creative agency experience is a bonus in his new role because he has "an understanding of how creative agencies see the medium", which helps him understand "what works and what doesn't". In fact, he would like to see more interaction between creative agencies, media agencies and media owners.
He explains: "When I worked at JWT in the '80s, Dennis Sullivan from British Posters used to come in and talk to the whole agency about what they were doing and new opportunities. You don't get that any more and it's a shame. I'd be happy to do that."
Bringing in a big name such as Eccleshare could be construed as a sign that Clear Channel's parent group, CC Media Holdings, is not planning to sell its outdoor interests. The buyout was one of the most leveraged on record and the reorganisation of debt is a constant topic of speculation. But Eccleshare insists Clear Channel is "absolutely 100% committed to its outdoor business".
Utterly convinced
"You don't hire a new international president unless you are committed to the business," he says. "I spoke to many people at Bain, T H Lee and Clear Channel in San Antonio before I took on the role and I came away utterly convinced."
In fact, Eccleshare says Clear Channel's private equity ownership was one of the factors that made it attractive. "My experience is that private equity firms actually take a longer-term view than some people imagine - certainly a far longer-term view than some shareholders of public companies."
He was sufficiently convinced by his new bosses to be lured away from the familiar creative agency environment to the land of posters. A keen marathon runner, he will make up in enthusiasm and transferable skills what he lacks in direct experience, and the media industry will watch closely to see what the man who started out by selling that KitKat ad does with the medium next.
CV
2009
President and chief executive, Clear Channel International
2005
Chairman and chief executive EMEA, BBDO
2002
European chairman and chief executive, Young & Rubicam
2000
Partner and leader of the European Branding Practice, McKinsey & Company
1996
Chief executive, then regional director for Northern Europe and UK chairman, Ammirati Puris Lintas
1995
Worldwide director of global strategy, JWT
1993
Chief executive of PPGH/JWT, Amsterdam
1990
Managing director, JWT London
1979
Graduate trainee, J Walter Thompson
Non-executive director, Hays plc
Eccleshare on...
Clear Channel's plans We have huge growth opportunity in the markets we are in at the moment and I want to get those right before we start spreading into new territories. We will invest carefully and work out where we can do meaningful innovation and get a good return for advertisers.
The future of outdoor We have an opportunity to make a stronger case for outdoor and by doing that we will increase share, in the UK and in other markets. Outdoor is the ultimate broadcast medium - we're big, we're public and our impact allows brands to make a very powerful statement indeed.
The recession It has been a horrible year. We predict the market will strengthen towards the end of the year and into 2010, but it's too early to call the recession over.
Digital It will form a major part of the business over the next few years, but the challenge is to work out how that will happen, what investments we need to make and how we get a proper return on those investments. Technology is going to change this business and we will be at the forefront of that change.