Tributes pour in for Chemistry chief

The direct marketing industry has paid tribute to Publicis Chemistry creative services director Debbie Collison, who has passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Originally from Kent, Collison worked in print and production in London all her working life and spent over a decade at Chemistry, moving over to Publicis when the agency was bought by the French company in 2011.
A creative through and through she was also a keen landscape photographer and award winning gardener.
Publicis Chemistry chief executive Mike Welsh said: “Debs was a wonderful colleague, who cared passionately about the creative work and her team. She set a great example to the rest of the agency, combining professionalism, humility and a cheeky sense of humour. We will miss her.”
And Chemisty co-founder Diane Charlton, who left the business in 2012 to launch Once Upon A Time with her long-term business partner Joe Garton, said Collison was a woman demanding high standards and always delivered what seemed like impossible logistical production feats.
She added: “Debs managed enormous growth in her years at Chemistry with complete dedication and was known for staying with the troops throughout night-time shifts. She was the engine room of an agency and a fantastic manager.”
Meanwhile, former managing director Jason Foo, who now heads up BBD Perfect Storm, said: “Debs was one of the great unsung heroes of the agency. She transformed the running of creative services and was renowned for her ‘can-do, let’s make it happen’ approach to creative challenges. She was instrumental in us pulling off some fantastic work, and winning key pitches.”
The funeral service took place at All Saints Church in Ealing, yesterday (Tuesday April 28) and was widely attended by Chemistry alumni, past and present.
Former colleague Mike Cavers, who worked with Collison while he was ECD of Chemistry said: “True to Debs’s way of doing things, her funeral was meticulously planned to the last detail, with moments of great wit and great sadness – it was both uplifting and sad in equal measure – but it was a celebration of her passion for life. She was a one off and will be truly, truly missed.”