After nearly 40 years in the advertising industry with 28 of those at FCB both internationally and in New Zealand, Brian van den Hurk has announced that he will be retiring in 2017.
In a statement, van den Hurk says, “The agency is in excellent shape and I will leave my team probably stronger than ever and with a reputation which is the envy of the marketplace. I have loved all of the 23 years I have spent at FCB NZ where we’ve experienced consistent growth and continually evolved the business.”
However, he goes on to say that “there comes a time to step back from the pace of our industry, move on to new challenges and do something a bit different.”
“I have several projects including a tech startup that I plan to pursue so I’m excited about that,” he says.
Bryan Crawford, FCB’s global vice chairman, praises van den Hurk’s work on some of the company’s most successful campaigns.
“He established our Wellington business and grew our portfolio of government clients before being appointed managing director and then CEO. We wish him well,” says Crawford.
President of FCB International Sebastien Desclee says the search for a new CEO will commence soon.
Van den Hurk took over as chief executive early last year from Australia New Zealand chair Bryan Crawford. Van den Hurk spent several years with international agencies in Auckland and Wellington before joining FCB to establish an office in Indonesia. The office quickly grew to handle many multinational and local clients in the banking, airline, tourism and FMCG sectors. Since returning to Auckland with FCB he has worked across categories including retail, brand and social change.
“One of FCB New Zealand’s many strengths is the depth of its management team and I have been lucky to work with some of the most talented people in our industry,” says van den Hurk. I know they and the wider FCB team will continue to focus on delivering outstanding results for our clients.”
