David Barbour and Joseph Clark, two alumnae of Labatt Breweries of Canada, have teamed up again to form a new Toronto business strategy and communications company called The Partnership.

One of the first clients for the new firm is Molson Breweries, with Manulife Financial also on the list.

Barbour and Clark are combining their senior level marketing and public affairs experience to develop integrated marketing programs for clients using outside suppliers to help execute the strategies.

Although the structure of The Partnership allows for the addition of senior partners in areas such as creative, database marketing and research, staff and overhead will be kept to a minimum.

Barbour, former Labatt executive vice-president, marketing, has worked as a marketing consultant since leaving the brewery in June 1992.

Barbour joined Labatt in 1989 after a two-year stint with Carling O’Keefe.

He was also with Molson Breweries for 18 years, working in various advertising and marketing positions before progressing to the post of President Molson Ontario.

Clark, former executive vice-president government and public affairs for Labatt, will be folding The Highland Group, the Toronto public relations firm that he has operated since leaving the brewery in the summer of 1991.

Before Labatt, Clark held various senior communications positions at Suncor, was executive assistant to a federal cabinet minister, and spent close to a decade as a broadcast journalist.