Creston announces Barrie Brien as upcoming CEO

– UK – Creston plc (LSE: CRE), the digitally focused insight and communications group, today announces that Don Elgie, the Group Chief Executive will retire from the Company he founded in 2001 to pursue a career of non-executive roles, with effect from 31st March 2014.

Succeeding Don will be Barrie Brien, the current COO and CFO, who has been with the Group since 2004.

Don Elgie commented: “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved since the inception of the Group in 2001. We have built a group of truly excellent complementary businesses working together for our clients and in recent years the Group has transformed itself into a leading player in the digital marketing industry.

I am confident the business is positioned well for the future, particularly after Barrie and I have worked together to oversee the co-location strategy creating centralised thriving offices from London to New York sharing clients more than ever before. I know I will be leaving the Group in the best of hands with Barrie and the Executive team. I would like to thank all the incredible people and clients with whom I have worked and who have helped me build Creston into what it is today and what it will achieve in the future.”

Barrie Brien commented: “I am looking forward to taking the Group onto its next stage of strategic evolution and growth. We have a wonderful list of clients for whom we produce award winning innovative work with a team of talented individuals and I will look to strengthen the Group offer behind a central client proposition that has brand strategy and insight consultancy at the core of its creative and digital marketing offer.

It has been a pleasure working with Don over the last nine years, which has been a period of great development and change. Don will be missed by all of us at Creston and we appreciate everything that he has achieved since founding the business.”

David Grigson, the Chairman, said “I am delighted that Barrie will be succeeding Don as CEO. He has been an integral part of Creston’s growth and success over the years and has a deep knowledge of the Group’s businesses and the industry. Most importantly, he has a clear vision and strategy for the next phase of the Group’s growth and development, which the Board is confident will benefit all of Creston’s key stakeholders over the coming years.

I would like to thank Don for his many years at the helm of the company he founded and for developing such an able successor in Barrie.  I am confident that the group Don has built will be able to move forward under Barrie’s leadership after a seamless and orderly handover at the year end.”

The search for a new CFO is currently underway and an announcement will be made in due course.

About Creston plc

Creston plc (LSE: CRE) is a digitally focused insight and communications group. The Group delivers a range of marketing services, including advertising, brand consultancy, CRM, digital and direct marketing, health communications, local marketing, market research, PR and social media marketing to a broad spectrum of blue-chip global clients. Our insight companies give us a real edge, providing the analytic intelligence to enable us to deliver original thinking that engages audiences, invites participation and influences future trends.

- DisclaimerNews, data, and statements included in this release are intended exclusively for general information purposes. Talent4Boards does not guarantee that news is accurate or about the correct person and accepts neither liability for the consequences of the reader’s reliance, nor responsibility for the accuracy of the information. Nothing in this release should be considered for decisions about referred securities. Products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.