Bond told Boards his decision to move from Nash was based on the increased potential for international exposure and the need for a more intimate working environment.

"I really wanted to join a company strong in London and LA, one that was a bit smaller in the UK. I think it's nicer to work in a smaller environment as a director," says the Swedish director. "Harry Nash is definitely bigger and I needed to make that move. They are a solid good company, and there was nothing else that made me want to move, apart from the US-English thing."

Harry Nash is widely held as responsible for transforming Bond into one of the UK's top directors in the three years since Bond joined the company. As such, Nash head Julia Reed has a different perspective of the recent signing.

"I have little respect for those companies that don't build their own talent," says Reed. "A good executive producer is able to spot talent and knows how to nurture it. Buying a director is a different business and it's certainly not one that I want to be involved in. The policy of checkbook signing does not fit well in the UK. My strongest feeling on it is that if a company has to go out and buy a director because they don't know how to build it, they should not be in this business."

"This is a hard time for any company to lose a guy that talented," counters MJZ's David Zander, "and I can completely understand how Julia might be upset. It's tough losing a guy like that but at the end of the day it wasn't really up to me per se. This is a talent-driven business and all Fredrik wants to do is see as many opportunities and choices as possible. Part of that equation is being worldwide and selecting as much of the best work as possible. He's a great guy - very straightforward, very down to earth and damn creative. To be honest with you, I feel really lucky to be in business with Fredrik in addition to all the talented directors in our roster."

Bond joins MJZ as of August 2002. RF, SH, SW

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