DDB's Quest for Top CD

DDB Needham here had a goodbye party for outgoing chief creative officer Jim Ferguson last week, complete with gags like a mock collection jar.
No, it wasn’t for gas money for the new president of Young & Rubicam in New York. It was labeled for another cause: “With proceeds going to find the new DDB Needham creative director,” joked agency president Jake Shroepfer.
It was lighthearted, good-natured ribbing, but not entirely without basis. Ferguson’s turnaround of DDB Needham’s creative reputation has made the post one of the most lucrative Southwest advertising openings in years, and one that will probably command the attention of high-priced talent nationwide.
Shroepfer, in an interview with this magazine, said the Omnicom-owned shop has begun its national search and been contacted by numerous candidates and headhunters about the job since Ferguson’s move to Y&R was revealed [Adweek, April 12].
The only decision made thus far by Shroepfer is that he...