After two decades-plus of co-running Bay Area operation Hoffman/Lewis, Bob Hoffman, aka the @AdContrarian is calling it quits, saying in a statement and perhaps is eyeying appointment to the papacy, according to this statement: “I just celebrated my 40th year in the agency business, and it’s time for a change. It’s better to leave 5 minutes too soon than 5 minutes too late. It’s time to reevaluate my professional life. That’s fancy business talk for ‘do something else.’”
Hoffman continues, “The agency has grown almost 30% in the past year, and it’s nice to be able to leave on an up note. I haven’t decided what I’ll do next, but I plan to continue my writing and speaking about advertising. Also, I understand there’s a job opening at the Vatican.”
Hoffman formed his San Francisco-based agency–which has lost its share of notable staffers in recent months–in 1991 alongside Roger Lewis, who subsequently retired in 2004. The departing exec will be succeeded by 19-year agency vet Josh Nichol on April 1 at Hoffman/Lewis, which counts clients including USC, Toyota and McDonald’s.