Patts looks to Y&R Indonesia for new Sydney boss after seven month search

Patts Sydney boss Andrew Dowling

Y&R has chosen an executive from within its network to head up its struggling Sydney operation, appointing the CEO of Y&R Indonesia as managing director of Y&R Group Sydney.

The announcement comes two months after news emerged that Y&R Group Australia and New Zealand CEO Russel Howcroft would be moving to Ten. Howcroft’s regional role has since been scrapped in favour of a local structure “to get closer to clients”.

Andrew Dowling – an Australian who started his career at Patts Sydney – was chosen to lead GPY&R Sydney, IdeaWorks and VML after a global search that took seven months and involved three recruitment consultancies.