Chris Ward is to be reunited with Nicola Thompson (formerly Dady) – one of the co-founders of Personal – following the merger of An Abundance with the agency where she works, FMLY.
The deal, which sees the agency retain The Abundance name, follows the exit of co-founder Amanda Phillips three weeks ago. She left to take on the chief executive role at digital agency Volume.
FMLY was set up in July this year by Debi Bester. She started her career as a journalist but in 1996 switched to the agency side to become a creative at Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray (now Proximity). She then had spells at Arc and Harrison Troughton Wunderman before returning to Proximity to set up the agency’s innovation unit.
In 2010, Bester co-founded The Reinvention Works, to provide agencies and advertisers with an outsourced marketing innovation lab. She has now taken on Philips’ stake in An Abundance and will become the strategy and innovation partner of the agency.
Thompson, a former associate director at CACI, will take on the role of managing director and client partner.
Ward (pictured) and Thompson, along with creative director Jason Andrews and planning partner Greig McCallum launched Personal in 2004. The agency was bought by the Engine Group in 2008 and subsequently merged with Partners Andrews Aldridge, leading to the departure of all four co-founders. McCallum is now strategic managing partner at Balloon Dog; Andrews took on the executive creative director role at Rapp in September.
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