Two of the original founders of award winning digital agency Clear Blue Day have left the company to pursue “new challenges”. Managing director Peter Bray and director of client services Justine Marino, leave the company today after 8 and 7 year respective tenures.
Bray founded the company in 2001 during the great ‘tech wreck’ with co-founders Marino, creative director Lachlan Pottenger, and technical lead Ryan Spencer. Weathering the dotcom crash, Bray and co built up the business up to profitability, opened offices in the US and eventually sold it to acquisitive digital marketing services group Q in August 2007.
ASX listed Q made a series of digital acquisitions throughout 2007 with its portfolio of companies now including Marked United, 3D interactive, Axis Media Communications, First Rate and Freestyle Media Group and permission-based online survey company The Great Australian Survey.
Both Pottenger and Spencer remain with the company but the exiting executives have recommended that Clear Blue Day should be more closely integrated within the wider Q Group. “This will be for the ultimate benefit of Q Ltd shareholders and existing employees who are all expected to remain as an integral part of the Clear Blue Day team,” said Q chief executive Paul Choiselat. Details of what form that integration have yet to be revealed.
Bray said that it was time to hand over the reigns of the company to the Q executive team as he looked for new opportunities.
“Both Justine and I are very confident that the Q Ltd management team will continue our passion for excellence, and ensure that the brand maintains its high standards. Also, in order for the Clear Blue Day brand to get to the next level, it is vital that the team works more closely with the Q Ltd executive team and we have no doubt this will occur,” Bray added.
Bray who is also the NSW President of the Australian Interactive Media
Industry Association (AIMIA) would not reveal what his next plans are at this stage. Starting his digital career at Ozemail, Bray has also founded secure internet children’s site kidz.net and served as MD of digital agency Guava Interactive.
