WPP's Grey sues Interpublic and former head Blamer over Centrillo hire

By Joe Lepper, Brand Republic 23-Sep-05, 14:20

NEW YORK - WPP Group's Grey Global is suing Interpublic, its agency Foote Cone & Belding and FCB worldwide CEO Steve Blamer, amid allegations of poaching surrounding the hiring of its senior manager Steve Centrillo earlier this year.

The action is a hangover from the departure of Blamer from Grey to FCB last year.

Blamer, who was North America chief executive at Grey, was forced to complete a six-month period of gardening leave before he could join FCB.

This ended in June. However, Grey is now claiming that Blamer was instumental in Centrillo's recrutiment to the role of executive vice-president and chief growth officer of Interpublic in May, and is therefore in breach of his contract.

According to a source at Grey, Blamer is forbidden from hiring from his former employers until June 2006.

The source added that the catalyst for the action was the announcement earlier this month that Centrillo had been promoted to president and chief executive of FCB New York.

Papers have now been filed by Grey with the State Supreme Court in New York.

US magazine Adweek quotes FCB representative Jan Sneed as saying: "We will vigorously defend our position".

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