The new Montreal affiliate of MacLaren:Lintas, Toronto is up and running, although the formal announcement and the unveiling of the agency’s new name are a few weeks away.

Marty Rothstein, MacLaren: Lintas president and chief executive officer, says the company opted to move from a regional office as a subsidiary of an international group, to one with local ownership to attract the best people and gain acceptance with Quebec clients.

MacLaren:Lintas of Toronto owns 40% of the Montreal agency, with the remaining 60% held by Chairman Jacques Lefebvre, former president of Publicite MacLaren:Lintas and four other partners.

Three were previously with BCP Strategy-Creativity – Alain Bourgeois, copywriter, Michel Lefebvre, account supervisor, and Andre Phaneuf, associate media director; and from Cossette, Mike Colucci, account director. PS