Cernis chooses job at Barrett Delves

Justin Cernis, the former new-business director of Mellors Reay and

Partners, is joining the start-up agency, Barrett Delves Fletcher

Matthews, as a managing partner.

Cernis, who quit Mellors Reay earlier this year, joins next week with a

particular focus on new business. He will take an equal equity stake in

the fledgling agency and his name will be added to that of the four

other partners at some point in the future.

At the same time, Barrett Delves has announced three new wins - its

first since its launch last October. The agency has picked up projects

for the London Symphony Orchestra, the DMTG Ski Exhibition and the

recruitment company, Robertson Young. The last two were won in

competitive pitches.

Cernis will now target a number of other new-business prospects in

sectors that include financial services, retail and beer. The agency is

also keen to land some Government business.

Cernis talked to agencies such as TBWA and Banks Hoggins O’Shea before

deciding on Barrett Delves. He had previously worked with the managing

partner, Alastair Delves, at Young and Rubicam in the late 80s.

Cernis said: ’When Paul Richards joined as managing director at Mellors

Reay, it closed a door of opportunity to me. Last year was also

incredibly frustrating and disappointing. We made it on to 13 pitches -

many of them very high profile - and we didn’t win one of them. I spent

a lot of time thinking about what to do.

’I already know Alastair and we share a belief in what ads should be

like. When I met the others, they struck me as people who were on my

wavelength and I wanted to be part of it.’

Cernis joined Mellors Reay in October 1994. Before that he was

new-business director at McCann-Erickson.

This article was first published on Campaign