Change of leadership at Ckdt: Burckhardt moves out

CEO Stephan Burckhardt is leaving Allschwil-based advertising agency Ckdt Communications. Burckhardt took over the former Allcom together with two partners in 1996. 100 percent of Ckdt was sold to Seiler Com Holding last year. Now Burckhardt wants to move with his family to Ireland or the USA. The new CEO of Ckdt is Herbert Seiler, who is turning the management upside down. Of the old team, only Ellen Heitlinger remains to manage the Healthcare division. New additions are Jürg Siegrist, previously head of consulting at Euro RSCG Zurich, as Managing Director for Corporate and Marketing Communication, and Guillermo Garcia, previously at Impiric Zurich, as Creative Director. Next year, Ckdt is to move from Allschwil to Basel, in as central a location as possible. "Until now, I had to turn on the GPS every time I wanted to go to Ckdt," Seiler complains.
Seiler does not want to change anything about the agency's overall concept. After the move, Seiler Com Holding owns two similarly oriented Basel agencies, Ckdt and cR Communications. However, the question of an adjustment or even a merger does not arise because of the shareholding structure: Ckdt is a sister agency of Seiler DDB within Seiler Com Holding, which owns cR as a subsidiary.
Seiler was angered by the claim in the business magazine Cash that customers and employees were running away from Ckdt because of Burckhardt's departure. Seiler: "None of that is true."
At least for new customer Bell, the management change led to uncertainty. Marketing Manager Hans Reutegger: "It seemed strange to us that all our contacts were leaving the agency." However, a new invitation to tender is not being considered until next year at the earliest. (sm)