London-based awards scheme and charity D&AD (originally Designers & Art Directors) is cutting back amid the pandemic and CEO Patrick Burgoyne (left), a former editor of respected journal Creative Review, is leaving. COO Dara Lynch is taking over with chairman and former CEO Tim Lindsay expected to play a bigger role.
D&AD says its revenues have fallen dramatically during Covid-19, especially with the cancellation of its big awards event. Thus year the awards are online only.
D&AD says: “We have had to develop a survival plan that enables us to do three things; first, continue to run the D&AD Awards to our usual high standard. Second, to continue to support the emerging cohort of creative talent as it seeks opportunities in the advertising and design industry, through the New Blood program. And third, rebuild our reserves so that we can reshape D&AD for a different, primarily digital, future.
“A key part of that plan includes a significant reduction in our staff numbers; and this also means we have had to reconfigure our senior management team. Our CEO, Patrick Burgoyne, has unselfishly volunteered to relinquish his role and step down. We thank him for his service, first as a Trustee and, since December 2019, as our CEO.”
The pandemic is laying waste to the events industry, the key source of revenue for many industry bodies and publications.
