Key people moves in the industry.
Future has named Rob Elms (right) as head of its new central agency team and Nick Weatherall as advertising sales director – entertainment, overseeing games, film and music groups. Both appointments follow James Ranson’s move to ad sales director – London last month (nma.co.uk 22 October 2012). Elms, who joined Future in 2008, will head up a six-strong agency-facing team tasked with generating print and iPad revenues across the technology, entertainment, photography and sport groups which includes T3, Total Film and Cycling Plus. Weatherall was previously advertising sales director – creative and will take over from Elms in his new role. Both will report to Ranson.
Audience platform Adconion Media Group has appointed Steve Brown managing director in the UK. He will be responsible for both arms of the brand: smartclip, its online video advertising and connected TV business, and its cross-channel digital distribution platform. Brown has previously held roles at Yahoo, BSkyB and News Group Media.
MirriAd, the brand integration firm, has hired former ITV business development manager Mike Faxholm as VP of sales, Northern Europe. The move comes six months after sales and marketing director David Charlesworth left his post as head of sponsorship at Channel 4 to join MirriAd.
Mobile buying platform Adfonic has added two senior sales people to its London-based team. Michael Craig, who was formerly agency account director at News International, has joined as group account manager, and Ben Rotheram, previously digital sales manager at BBC Worldwide, has taken up the role of senior account manager.
Samba Mobile, the free mobile broadband company, has appointed Dave Roberts customer acquisition director. He has been tasked with securing relevant retail partnerships. Roberts has more than 20 years retail sales and operations experience having held various management positions at Dixons Stores Group, Vodafone and Digicel.
Online marketing agency Liberty Marketing has added five new members to its team. The Cardiff-based agency has hired Thomas Bentley, Dean Coombes and Ben Magee to manage SEO and social media accounts; Lianne Jones as an SEO team leader; and Ceri Williams as a PPC account manager.
RedWorks, Ogilvy & Mather’s global network of production and design units, has named Mark Reardon CEO of EMEA operations. He joins from Splash Worldwide, where he held the position of chief development officer. He will be based in London and report directly to Duncan Stokes, global CEO of RedWorks.
MoveStarPlanet, the game and social network for eight to 15 year olds, has named Vernon Jones as head of safety to strengthen the protocols and processes it has in place. Jones has experience of online child safety at local, national and international levels and has worked on child protection and safeguarding issues within local authority social service departments in Denmark and the UK.
ABC has appointed three members to its governing board. Richard Thomson, nominated by the NS, will represent regional publications and is replacing outgoing member Chris Pennock, MD of Johnston Press’ South Midlands Publishing Unit. Tim Brooks has been nominated by the PPA and will represent business media. While Jo Hughff, an ISBA nominee, will be the board’s advertiser representation.
