Stoddart To Help With CCO Hunt

The timing of Leo Burnett's decision to search for a successor to eight-year chief creative officer Cheryl Berman just as U.S. president Rich Stoddart is arriving was not coincidental, sources said. Worldwide president Tom Bernardin said Stoddart did not make choosing her successor a stipulation to his joining the $3 billion agency but noted, "Clearly he needs to be involved." Stoddart and Berman will lead the hunt, which is expected to take 6-12 months, looking both inside and outside Burnett. Berman is expected to remain in an international role.