Damon Stapleton headhunted by intl ad agency

Stapleton (@D_Stapleton) has worked for TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris for the past 12 years, during which time the agency has won major international recognition, most notably for the Trillion Dollar campaign for newspaper The Zimbabwean.

"Regret, tinged with great pride"

"Damon has done outstanding work, won incredible international and local accolades, and in so many ways led the resurgence of the TBWA\ creative work over the last few years," says TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris group MD Ivan Moroke. "It is with regret, tinged with great pride, that we wish Damon best of luck with this amazing opportunity.

"We are proud to have played a major part in Damon's development and his rise to the peak of the profession in South Africa. This pride, of course, is mixed with regret at his departure, but we salute Damon and recognise that he has achieved advertising excellence to the point where his world-class stature is recognised, and he now needs to test his mettle overseas."

Moroke says he and the agency's founding director, John Hunt, are working urgently to finalise future prospects and are far into the process of identifying his successor. He assures clients that there won't be any interruption in the creative delivery of TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris.

"As successful internationally as he was in SA"

"The many discussions we have had around Damon's future, and his international aspirations, have provided us the opportunity to ensure that we have been able to plan for the next creative chapter," says Moroke. "Damon has reached the point in his career where new challenges and tests beckon. We have every confidence that he will be as successful internationally as he was in South Africa."

Further new recent moves in the advertising industry include:

• Net#work BBDO: Abdulla Miya resigning as MD
  
• TBWA Cape Town: Tim Culley appointed as new MD
  
• Y&R Cape Town: Natalie Tudhope appointed as new MD

• Y&R Johannesburg: ECD Liam Wielopolski leaving for Saatchi & Saatchi