By Robert Goldrich

CHICAGO --

CEO Charles Day and COO Christine Tardio, two of the founding partners in The Whitehouse, have decided to leave the editorial company effective May 13. They are staying on for the next couple of months to ensure a smooth transition at the shop, which maintains operations in London, New York, Chicago and Santa Monica.

The husband-and-wife team simply decided it had accomplished what it set out to do nearly 11 years ago by helping to build a world-class editorial house. Day and Tardio want to now move onto new challenges, but have not yet set any definite plans. Whether those new challenges will be in or outside the industry remains to be seen. Ownership of The Whitehouse will be among the five remaining partners, entrepreneur Alan Kubicka and editors David Brixton, Russell Icke, Rick Lawley and John Smith.

Day and Tardio felt the time was right to start a new chapter in their professional lives. Tardio explained the decision in part by dividing her career into decades. She looked back at the first decade with her working as a producer on Oprah and then as manager of broadcast production at DDB Chicago (where she met Day who was a senior producer at the agency). The next decade saw her and Day team on the launch of The Lookinglass Company, Chicago, in ’95, open a West Coast office and then move to create a groundbreaking international editorial company via a merger in ’01 with The Whitehouse, London. Shortly thereafter, a New York operation was formed under The Whitehouse banner.

“It just felt right at this juncture to look ahead to the next decade of our careers and to move onto new opportunities,” related Tardio, who noted that she and Day just recently made that decision.

Day noted that in retrospect a partial catalyst might have been the departure of Roe Bressan, managing director of The Whitehouse, New York, who ended her three-and-a-half-year tenure at the company last month. Bressan said that she had attained her goal of helping to establish The Whitehouse’s New York shop, and felt the time was right to move on to another career challenge. Bressan then started her own consultancy business, with The Whitehouse as her first client (SHOOT, 2/11, p. 15).

“Chris and I felt that Roe’s decision reflected an interesting point of view, which got us to thinking about our situation and the fact that we had accomplished what we had set out to do here,” related Day.

Tardio observed, “Not yet knowing what we will do is both rather terrifying and exhilarating–.The comforting factor is that we fully know that we are leaving The Whitehouse in great shape and positioned for continued success.”

When asked who would take on the responsibilities currently held by Day and Tardio, Whitehouse partner/editor Brixton noted that the company philosophy and norm has been to promote from within. At the same time he didn’t rule out the possibility of securing some outside help that would complement the managerial/administrative talent already on staff.

    While bullish on future prospects for The Whitehouse, Brixton related that on a personal level,  “I’m sad to see them [Day and Tardio] leave. These are people I’ve seen or been on the phone with virtually every day for the last decade. I’m sad that I won’t be seeing them as much.”

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