Loewy announces key appointments to Board as it continues to grow creative powerhouse

Loewy has announced three key appointments to its board, hot on the heels of its recent industry coup - the merger with leading design agency Williams Murray Hamm.

The new appointments are part of a plan which will return Loewy to the big time, with the aim of establishing a creative powerhouse employing 300 people by Easter 2007 on a path to stock market flotation.

Loewy has recently agreed £15m debt funding, used to finance three recent mergers (Rainier PR, Bite and Williams Murray Hamm) and which will fund two further mergers scheduled for Q1 2007. These deals will cement Loewy’s reputation as the most creative agency in Britain, bringing it to £5m pre-tax profit.

The latest appointments are:

Mark Adams, who becomes new non-executive chairman. Adams is co-founder of global PR firm Text 100 now listed on London Stock Exchange as Next Fifteen plc;

Iain Johnston, who joins as non-executive director. Johnston is founder of technology companies GB Group and Alterian, two fast-growing technology companies listed in FT’s Top 100 Companies of the Future; and

Loewy’s Ed Hardy, who joins the main board as group managing director, while maintaining a role as MD at Loewy’s Pimlico base.

Charlie Hoult, Loewy CEO, says: “We are delighted to welcome our new board members. Their reputation as industry movers and shakers, with many years’ experience growing investment-friendly companies across an international platform, will reinforce Loewy’s profile as an industry leader. The move propels us to the next phase of growth which will see Loewy taking to the global stage, once again.

“Mark, Iain and Ed have a deep and enviable knowledge and understanding of the creative sector and, from a mentoring perspective, will considerably widen our senior management experience, while adding kudos to our portfolio.”

Mark Adams helped build Text 100 from scratch to offices worldwide before floating it on the London Stock Exchange and it continues to trade, with Branson’s PR guru Will Whitehorn as chairman. Mark now operates as a partner in Pembridge (www.pembridge.net), a boutique investment consultancy working with marketing agencies.

Iain Johnston has founded two fast growing technology-based marketing companies GB Group and Alterian, which earned places in The Independent Top 100 and Virgin Fast Track 100. Since 1998 he has achieved full listing for both these businesses, and is a director/chairman of a number of other fast growth companies which are looking to come to market in the next few years. He was formerly a board member of the Direct Marketing Association.

Ed Hardy joined Loewy in 2005 when he merged below-the-line agency Spring, founded by Hardy and partner Julius Denny, into Loewy. He is a veteran of pan-European agency networks with extensive experience of handling world-class brands like Coca-Cola, Mars, HP and Kodak in the UK and international markets.

These appointments come at the same time as the departure of one of Loewy’s original backers, Luke Johnson of Risk Capital Partners (RCP). A syndicate of managers has acquired the RCP stake in Loewy.

RCP is adopting a new investment approach by making fewer but higher value stakes, primarily in its core sector; leisure markets. Johnson has also renewed his contract as chairman of Channel 4, which becomes an area of potential conflict considering Loewy’s growth.

Hoult continues: “We continue to power our way to creating a collaborative culture, re-establishing ourselves as a business heavyweight, while operating with all the flexibility of an autonomous business at practice level. This is an exciting way to start the New Year.”