Andreas Widmer becomes CEO of Young & Rubicam Group Switzerland
Andreas Widmer, head of Futurecom Interactive, will become CEO of the newly founded Young & Rubicam Group Switzerland. He will lead the group alongside Markus Gut, the former head of creative at Publicis. Philipp Skrabal, CD at Publicis, is also moving to AY&R.
Futurecom Interactive boss Andreas Widmer is to become CEO of the newly founded Young & Rubicam Group Switzerland. He will manage the group together with Markus Gut, the former Head of Creation and member of the Executive Board of the Zurich advertising agency Publicis. Gut is leaving Publicis at the end of December 2007 and will join the Young & Rubicam Group Switzerland as Chief Creative Officer. Widmer will therefore replace Edgar C. Britschgi as CEO of the Gockhausen-based agency. He confirmed this to Werbewoche. Britschgi will, however, remain with Advico Young & Rubicam. Gut worked at Publicis for 13 years, first as Senior Art Director and later as Chief Creative Officer. Together with him, his deputy, Philipp Skrabal, will also move to Advico Young & Rubicam as CD. Publicis is thus losing two outstanding creatives, as detailed in a press release. Creative Directors Ralph Halder, Ralf Kostgeld, Sacha Moser and Tim Hoppin, together with the entire creative team, will ensure continuity in the agency's creative work.
"I very much regret the departure of both of them, this is a significant loss for us," Publicis CEO Fredy Collioud told Werbewoche. "We had had other plans together, Markus Gut would have had attractive positions open to him at Publicis, including succeeding myself". However, he can understand why Gut is now seizing the new opportunity. Gut is also a long-standing friend of Andreas Widmer, with whom he will now be working.
"I very much regret the departure of both of them, this is a significant loss for us," Publicis CEO Fredy Collioud told Werbewoche. "We had had other plans together, Markus Gut would have had attractive positions open to him at Publicis, including succeeding myself". However, he can understand why Gut is now seizing the new opportunity. Gut is also a long-standing friend of Andreas Widmer, with whom he will now be working.
