After 20 years with SMW Advertising, of Toronto, Michael Paul, is stepping down.

Paul, a copywriter by trade, is a founder and director of the agency as well as the first and only creative director smw has ever had.

Paul, who leaves smw this month, says he expects to be back in the industry soon, focusing on creative on his own or with a small agency.

Paul ran his own creative boutique for two years before joining smw.

Before that, he spent two years as creative group head at Ronalds-Reynolds, and five years working on the Volkswagen business at ddb.

He started his career in 1964 with Goodis Goldberg Soren.

smw President Rob Lawrie says he hopes to hire a new creative director by the end of June.

‘The search is on,’ Lawrie says.

‘I’m getting a list together, and I think it’s critical right now to look outside the agency to make the right decision in the context of today’s and tomorrow’s world,’ he says.