BACK RESIGNS FROM DDB SYDNEY, WHERE TO NEXT?

DDB Sydney creative director Steve Back has resigned after 14 months at the agency, confirmed by DDB national ECD Matt Eastwood this morning. Back is not returning calls as to his future plans and apparently will be taking a holiday starting tomorrow.
Back, who is currently ranked #6 Creative in Australasia on the CB Creative Rankings, was lured to DDB Sydney from Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, where he was head of art, and before that he held a similar gig at Colenso BBDO, Auckland. Prior to his NZ stint, Back had several senior gigs in London, including deputy CD of Grey, head of art and CD of Walsh Trott Chick Smith and group CD at Partners BDDH. Before London, he was head of art at Leo Burnett Sydney (part of the 2000 CB Agency of the Year team, teamed with Mark Collis, now national ECD of Burnetts).
Back started his career in 1991 at Mojo in Perth, followed by three years at Marketforce. In 1996 he headed east, securing a senior art director gig at George Patterson Bates in Sydney, where he first teamed up with Collis.