"I don't know that yet. My role is to help Batey develop its agenda and business," said Maedel. "Batey as an agency is responsible for the relationship and work. If we can help in its global alignment, then we will do so."
Maedel also noted that, while Batey will remain an independent agency within JWT in the same manner as India's Contract and Spain's SCPF, discussions regarding the fate of local market operations in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong are still at an early stage.
"There are various options as to how they go forward," added Maedel. "It is not a takeover or a merger. The intention will be to leave the company as it is."
The news follows founder Ian Batey's sale of his remaining shareholding in the agency to parent company WPP in mid-2005, a year that also saw some significant account defections from Batey, including that of Starhub, OCBC and Singapore Tourism Board.
JWT in talks over Batey's China fate
Batey has ended months of speculation about its future by entering the JWT international network as an independent agency. The iconic agency, which will retain its name, will report to JWT international president Michael Maedel in London, although Maedel declined to reveal whether he would be playing a role on the key Singapore Airlines account.
