Senior staff exodus continues at Bates as Crossing resigns

Peter Crossing, chairman of Bates UK’s below-the-line agency, Blue

Skies 141, has resigned along with his managing director, Andrew

Annette, and his client services director, Olly Raeburn.

Bates UK’s chief executive officer, John Stubbings, confirmed the

departures, which come in the same week that John Lee, the 141 chief

executive, and John O’Sullivan, the creative director, were made

redundant.

At least three other staff, including the creative services director,

Derek Whitehead, have quit in the past week.

The exodus follows the decision to recreate Bates UK as an integrated,

through-the-line agency, using the acquisition of Blue Skies as a

catalyst (Campaign, 23 April). The Blue Skies boss, Graham Green, was

installed as group vice-chairman with board-level responsibility for

Blue Skies 141, Bates Communications and Bates Interactive.

Bates Communications’ chairman, Marcus Evans, and its planning director,

Jeremy Hall, resigned immediately.

This article was first published on Campaign