Friends, colleagues and industry figures have paid tribute to former DDM, Barraclough Hall and Proximity chief Elly Woolston, who has passed away following spirited battle with cancer.
Having started her career client-side at Barclaycard in the 1980s, Elly was lured by DDM Advertising in 1987 to run its British Airways account, among others, and during the following four years she helped to build the BA Executive Club into one of most successful CRM programmes in Europe.
In 1991, Elly joined forces with fellow DDM executives Chris Barraclough, Simon Hall and Duncan Gray as a founding partner of Barraclough Hall Woolston Gray.
BHWG went on to become one of the most successful DM agencies of the Nineties, being bought by Omnicom in the latter part of the decade and rebranded Proximity London.
Elly spent the next 17 years with the business as deputy chairman, before leaving in 2008.
Over the following decade, she took on senior roles at a number of agencies, including at DMS and Indicia, and then became an independent marketing, multimedia business consultant in 2016.
Former business partner Duncan Gray remained close to Elly for more than three decades. He said: “I last spoke to her a few days before she passed away and she mostly asked how I was!
“Ellen, Elly, superstar marketing lady, horse lover and rider, chicken keeper, bon viveur, leopard print lady, wine appreciator, beautiful home creator, celebrator of everything creative, world traveller, amazing business partner, fun instigator, mischief maker… A truly unique lady. An inspiration in so many ways and a true and caring friend for 35 years.”
Barraclough added: “From the very first days at DDM, Elly showed herself to be an extraordinary force of life. Boundless energy and endless enthusiasm coupled to a smile that could light up the planet. From BA to Save the Children, from VW to the British Red Cross, she was utterly devoted to her clients and they loved her in return. BHWG would never have happened without her.
“Through the example she set and the encouragement she gave, and in her position as a supremely successful woman in a boorish patriarchal industry, she inspired a generation of smart new agency talent, many of whom now sit at the top of our profession. That’s quite some legacy and was properly recognised when she was elected an Honorary Fellow of the IDM.
“However, many of us will remember her better as a truly wonderful person. A dear friend. No-one displayed such generosity of spirit. Elly was so kind, so much fun. She’d throw herself wholeheartedly into pretty much anything but still have time to remember your birthday, be the first to congratulate you on a success and offer support when you were struggling. Then she’d delight you with an act of kindness when you least expected it. Whoever you were.
“I’ll miss Elly. We’ll all miss Elly. But if we remember that glorious smile, even the deepest sadness will turn to joyful memory. Rest in peace, Elly.”
Pumpkin PR founder and chief executive Sarah Owen worked at BHWG in the early years. She said: “I was hired by, and worked with, Elly for several years. She was hugely admired and respected across the industry, but within the business she was also genuinely loved.
“Her energy and pioneering spirit inspired her staff and clients alike. She was a genuine trailblazer and always worked to deliver the new and innovative work happening in the industry at the time.
“I remember her being someone who could change the direction of an account or a pitch with a simple ten-minute chat. She elevated the business of direct marketing with her passion and depth of insight.
“As a founding partner, she was always willing and keen to give people an opportunity to do something different, change their careers or even their lives. Finally, a note to her personal style – you could not miss her. Her cloud of blonde hair, her twinkly eyes and her chic style could be spotted from a distance as she made her way around the corridors of Thames Wharf. She will be missed.”
Meanwhile, tributes have also been paid on LinkedIn, Brandpie executive creative partner Rik Haslam said he had “wonderful memories” of Elly and her generosity and fun loving spirit.
He added: “I remember one incident when she lent a broke and extremely unreliable young Rik her car so I could take a week long holiday from London to the Mull of Kintyre. I returned her car with a flat tyre that I hadn’t noticed. She laughed it off, wouldn’t hear of me getting it repaired and said anytime I needed to borrow a car again just to ask. One of a kind. RIP Elly.”
Deloitte UK agency operations Terry Allen added: “It’ll be said a million times, but Elly’s smile, her infectious positive energy, that child-like naughty glint and unwavering generosity of time were the things I will remember most.
“I was gifted time to learn at such a remarkable company as BHWG and at such a young age, it’s stayed with me throughout my 30 years in the industry. We continued to keep in touch all these years since. I remember Elly taking me out to dinner one night, just the two of us, it’s felt like an education in itself. Treasured memories of a truly stunning lady.”
But even people from rival agencies have joined in the tributes. Former WWAV boss John Watson, who is now chairman and group CEO of WPNC, said: “I didn’t know Ellie particularly well but she was a looming presence in the background while they were setting up and growing BHWG and we were doing the same with WWAV.
“We had various lunches with Chris and Simon but Elly always got on with the real work…on the occasions when we were head to head in a pitch and we lost (which happened too often!) the client would always mention Elly’s strategic skills, and, when in turn, we managed to lure a few folk from BHWG, they always held Elly in awe. She is a loss to the business and I and everyone at WPNC pass our deepest condolences to her family.”
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