DDB creative director heads to Saatchi Tim Addington
DDB Sydney deputy creative director Steve Back has quit the agency to move to Saatchi & Saatchi, B&T understands.
Back, whose last day at DDB is today, is believed to be taking over from David ‘Nobby’ Nobay, as executive creative director.
Matt Eastwood, national creative director at DDB said Back had told him he was moving to Saatchi & Saatchi. Back was not available for comment.
Eastwood told B&T: “Today is his last day.” Asked if he knew which agency Back was joining, Eastwood said: “I know only from what he told me it is Saatchi & Saatchi, but I haven’t heard that from anyone official other than him.”
Eastwood said Back was joining as “creative director” and when asked if it was Nobby’s role, replied: “Yes”.
He continued: “Obviously I’m torn, I am happy for him it’s a big job but I’m incredibly sad to see him go because we have got a great working relationship and he is a good guy. But at the same time I wish him well because it is an exciting opportunity to step up to a creative director role at a big agency.”
Back was previously head of art at Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand before joining DDB Sydney, and was in the same role at Colenso BBDO Auckland. He has also been deputy creative director of Grey in London and head of art and creative director at Walsh Trott Chick Smith. He has also been head of art at Leo Burnett Sydney. He started his career at Mojo in Perth followed by Marketforce.
Simone Bartley, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi was unavailable for comment. A spokeswoman for Saatchi & Saatchi said the claim was “speculation”.
Eastwood said not replacement for Back had yet been named and he would be looking externally, to fill the position.
