Cracknell made the shock move of quitting one of the top posts in political journalism by agreeing to join the agency late last year. He actually only started at the agency – where he has had a dual role, acting not only as chairman of LLM but also as one of numerous managing directors of FD - roughly three months ago.
Charles Watson, FD group chief executive, said in a statement: "I am sorry to report that David Cracknell has decided to move on to other things after completing a number of highly valuable assignments, including helping to win the prestigious post-nationalisation Northern Rock account.
Watson added: “I would like to thank David for the significant insights and value he has added to the firm during his time here. He leaves us with the very best of wishes for the future and I hope that one day we might work again together."
Cracknell said: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with FD and FD-LLM and I am very grateful to them for the opportunities that have arisen during my time here, including helping to win the post-nationalisation Northern Rock account.”
The 39-year-old added: “The valuable time spent here has opened my eyes to a number of opportunities outside the firm which it would not be possible to take up were I to continue. FD has been kind enough to release me and I am very grateful for that. I will stay in touch and would not rule out working with FD again. I would personally like to thank Charles Watson for all the support he has given me and I wish him and FD the very best for the future."
FD-LLM’s bosses remain Fiona Mason and Simon Elliott.
At the time of his appointment, Cracknell told PAN that his role was ‘about integrating’ FD’s different divisions and ‘sitting with high-level clients and giving them advice’, ‘gelling the team, working with Fiona’, as well as being an ‘ambassador, internally and externally’.