NEWS9 June 2009
UK— Julian Bond has left Research International (RI) after a 27-year career with the WPP-owned agency.
Bond was most recently chairman of the UK business but also had a focus on global innovation and product development.
His departure comes in the wake of the merger of RI and TNS, which followed on from WPP’s £1bn takeover of the latter last year.
RI’s UK chief executive Paul Edwards has been appointed chairman of the merged TNS-RI business in the UK, while TNS’s UK boss Andrew Czarnowski becomes CEO.
Speaking to Research, Edwards stressed that Bond’s leaving was a “personal decision”. Describing Bond as “irreplaceable”, Edwards said: “He is a top man and, personally speaking, I will miss him.”
Bond could not be reached for comment today.