Back Leaves Arc for CEO Post

Brad Back is leaving Arc Worldwide to take the helm of Chicago branding and design shop MLR Design.

Brad Back

Back has been Arc’s global point person for all P&G work since the agency restructured its account-services staff late last year. As executive VP-client solutions, Back also led initiatives for clients Miller Brewing Co., United Airlines, Coca-Cola and Capital One.

Back had been chief marketing officer of Arc North America and senior VP-business development at Frankel, which has been merged into Arc.

Arc plans to replace Back through “a combination of accelerating some of our best people to more senior roles, as well as moving a new person into the organization to take on some of Brad’s global responsibilities,” said Arc’s President-North America Marc Landsburg.

Back joined MLR July 1 as president-CEO, with an equity stake in the shop. His mandate is to build on the agency’s long-term partnerships with clients, grow revenue and bring MLR into additional practice areas.

“Initially, I was just interested in learning about the space, since it’s a hot topic with networks today, including [Arc parent] Publicis,” Back said. “Brand ID, packaging and design seem to be so hot right now in the industry. MLR has been one of those ‘below the radar’ secrets that I look forward to refreshing, reinvigorating, and working to crystallize a differentiating positioning in the marketplace.”