After eight successful years at Clemenger BBDO Sydney, executive planning director Al Crawford has decided to leave the agency.

CEO Andy Pontin said: Al is one of the great characters of this industry. I’ve absolutely loved working with him and I reckon he’s made me belly laugh on every single day of the last eight years. His intellect is phenomenal so however or wherever he chooses to apply that brain after a break will be a huge success. Hopefully it is somewhere within the Clemenger and BBDO worlds.”

“I’ve had some awesome times at Clems, but before my aging brain turns to mush, I want to use my strategic nous to solve a different set of fiendish problems,” said Crawford. “Cheers to all my clients and colleagues that have made the good times massively outweigh the utterly rubbish ones. With Andy, Em, Ben and John at the helm, I know that Clems will go from strength to strength. Over and out.”

Crawford will finish at Clemenger in April 2017. Clemenger BBDO Sydney will announce a replacement in due course.

In November last year, executive creative director Paul Nagy tendered his resignation from the Clemenger BBDO Sydney offices. Nagy, who has been ECD for five years in Sydney, came to the Aussie team after five years at Clems in Wellington.