After more than 10 years with BBDO Worldwide network, Larry Tolpin, one of the network’s top creative people, has switched over to J. Walter Thompson – and, in his new position, will be spending part of his time in Canada.

Later this month, Tolpin takes on the new dual role of worldwide creative director and chief executive officer of JWT West, based in San Francisco, Calif.

In that post, he will manage JWT West operations as well as those of J. Walter Thompson Canada, in addition to overseeing the creative product of JWT West, JWT Canada and parts of Asia-Pacific.

jwt has two other worldwide creative directors – Helayne Spivak in New York and Allen Thomas in London, England – but Tolpin is the only one who also has a ceo management role.

Tolpin says he doesn’t know how much time he will actually be spending in Canada but expects he will be here at least part of every month.

‘Obviously I will be spending a good amount of time in Canada but there are still a lot of unknowns at this point.

‘I’m looking forward to being back in Canada and helping to build jwt, and hopefully take in a few Leaf games along the way.’

Tolpin was most recently regional creative chairman for BBDO Worldwide in the u.s. and president and chief creative officer of BBDO South in Atlanta, Ga.

He moved to that job last November from BBDO Canada, where he had been chief creative officer since 1992.

Tolpin first came to Canada in 1989 as creative director at BBDO Vancouver.

Before joining bbdo, Tolpin was executive vice-president and executive creative director for cmp, which served as the in-house agency for Walt Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures.

He earlier held senior positions at FCB/West and BBDO Worldwide as well as being a managing partner of his own firm.