WPP : Brand Union set to change the professional branding industry across Africa

JOHANNESBURG
- Brand Union Africa is bringing Doug De Villiers, currently CEO of Brand Science, and his team into Brand Union to form a dynamic new market offer.

Doug - who will assume the Vice-Chairmanship of the business - is one of Africa's leading brand professionals who previously helped build Interbrand Africa into one of the continent's pre-eminent branding consultancies.

Managing Director of Brand Union Africa, Mathew Weiss shared, 'We've made this decision to better respond to the needs of our clients. The capability that Doug and his team brings will help us connect with the evolving needs of our clients in Africa in wider and deeper ways'.

Commenting on the move, Doug explained, 'This will afford our clients access to a breadth of local and global services that covers almost every aspect of brand strategy and design.'

Together, Matthew Weiss and Doug de Villiers will lead a team of around 50 of the best strategic and creative brand thinkers in the industry, with offices in South Africa across Johannesburg and Cape Town as well as Cairo, Egypt.

Executive Chairman for the network Simon Bolton added, 'I have known and admired Doug for over a decade. He has been a passionate advocate for the importance of building brand across the African continent, as well as in South Africa. Doug's conviction, coupled with Mathew's deep understanding of our business, will create a winning partnership.'

At point of going to press, Brand Union has announced that it is to converge with 4 other WPP Brand Consulting agencies: Addison Group, Lambie-Nairn, The Partners and VBAT, forming a network of 750 employees across 20 locations.

For more information, please contact:
Michelle Cavé: PR Consultant
michelle.cave@brandunion.com