Ant White departs CHE Proximity, joins Chris Howatson to launch new agency
CHE Proximity chief creative officer Ant White has announced he will leave the agency and join Chris Howatson to start their own business, Howatson + White.
Howatson and White will depart CHE Proximity to start their own business
Earlier today it was revealed that Howatson would also be leaving the agency he has led since 2012.
Howatson has been a driving force in the growth of CHE Proximity which is now one of the leading agencies in the market. He has held the role of CEO since 2012 when he was 27.
White, meanwhile, joined CHE Proximity in January 2016 as executive creative director, having held senior creative roles at agencies including StrawberryFrog, Droga5 and Clemenger BBDO.
He was promoted to chief creative officer early in 2018 and played a significant role in the creative growth of the agency.
Clemenger Group Executive Chairman Robert Morgan acknowledged the contribution of Howatson to the business
“Chris has shown fantastic leadership at CHE Proximity over the past eight years and prior to that with Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne and Brisbane. He has certainly made the most of the opportunity to run CHE Proximity and has built a fantastic Agency,” Morgan said.
“He leaves CHE Proximity in safe hands and I trust the agency will continue to do exciting, new age and innovative work and solutions for our clients, as we head into 2021 and in the coming years.
“We thank him for all he has done for the Clemenger Group and the support he has given the Board and our companies over many years.
“We also recognise Ant for his great creative leadership at CHE Proximity over the past five years. He has led a powerful creative offering which has been a driving force behind some of the Agency’s most successful campaigns in recent years.”
Howatson said: “CHE Proximity and Clemenger Group has been my life for the last 19 years. I’ve learned from the very best people, worked on the very best clients, and been steered by the very best in Robert Morgan. I’m grateful for every opportunity I’ve been afforded and know the team will continue CHEP’s insatiable appetite for innovation and creative excellence.”
Howatson will remain with CHE Proximity until the end of February to enable a smooth transition with the Agency’s management team.
Howatson and White will open their new agency early in 2021. No announcement has yet been made on the replacements for both Ant White or Chris Howatson although the release sent by the group said, “The agency will continue its forward trajectory under the leadership of its strong management team, consisting of Andrew Drougas, Renee Hyde, Martin Griffin, David Halter, Mark Gretton, Michelle Brooks, James Greaney, Nicole Flinton-Ferraro, Glen Dickson, Cameron Hoelter, Helen James and Mike Deane.”
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Damian is the head of content at Mumbrella, overseeing all content and editorial within the business. He has worked as a journalist and communications consultant across a number of industries for over 15 years. He has been with Mumbrella for more than three years, initially running event content. Damian was previously print editor of AdNews.
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