President of Caanz resigns to take post in Australia

By DITA DE BONI

The recently renamed Communications Agencies Association (Caanz) has a new president after the shock departure of former president and Communications Group chief executive Noel Browne for Australia.

Vice-president Martin O'Halloran, managing director of DDB, becomes the new Caanz head after Mr Browne formally resigned after two years on the board of the former 3As and three months as president.

His resignation follows a sudden exit from his day job with Communications on August 11 after 32 years with the George Patterson Bates network of agencies. A legal dispute over that termination remains.

The Communications Group incorporates the Bates Palace, the Media Palace and 141 Palace Plus.

Caanz executive director Lynne Clifton said that as president, Mr Browne had been "fantastic to work with, really supportive and very responsive, and someone who always made himself available."

She said Mr O'Halloran was unanimously voted in by Caanz members to replace Mr Browne. James Hall had declined the job because of his responsibilities at Saatchi.