The New Year has kicked off with a bang and of course, some people moves. Check out the latest from Datalicious, Fairfax, GoDaddy and more.
Adam Furness takes APAC MD spot at Impact Radius
Performance marketing business, Impact Radius, has hired former RadiumOne MD Adam Furness as its APAC MD. Furness, who spent four years at global digital ad tech company RadiumOne, which was acquired by RhythmOne in June, left the business just before Christmas, as revealed by AdNews. Media speculation that Furness was relocating to Singapore last year was incorrect, with Furness confirming this to AdNews at the time. Read more here.
Ikon managing partner defects to rival OMD
Ikon Melbourne's managing partner Sharon Cookson has left the business after five and a half a years for the same role at rival media agency OMD. In the newly-created role, as managing partner OMD Melbourne, Cookson will join the Melbourne leadership team that includes OMD Melbourne general manager, Antonia Glezakos. The appointment follows news last month of ex-IPG Mediabrands exec Dianne Richardson returning from New York to Australia to take up the position of MD OMD Melbourne. Read more here.
Datalicious founder exits business after 11 years
CEO and founder of marketing data business Datalicious, Christian Bartens, has left the 2007-founded Australian firm for a 'measurement lead' role at Equifax Marketing Services in New York City. Marketing services by Equifax include “database marketing, persistent keying and data hygiene services, analytics and modelling and on-going direct marketing services support”. In 2014 credit reference agency Veda Group acquired a controlling position in Datalicious and in 2016 Veda itself was acquired by NYSE-listed data analytics giant Equifax. Bartens had been running Datalicious for 11 years. AdNews understands now the acquisition of Datalicious by Equifax is complete, Datalicious general managers in Australia will run the APAC business, so Bartens can focus on building up the same capability for Equifax in the US.
Fairfax appoints Philippa Walker to lead travel industry commercial team
Phillipa Walker has been appointed by Fairfax as head of travel to lead the Metro division’s commercial operations in the travel sector. The appointment is part of Fairfax’s restructure of its commercial divisions, which saw the publisher bring in vertical specialists, including Volvo CMO Oliver Peagam to lead auto. Walker, who spent a decade with travel agency The Travel Corporation and was most recently account director with printer Blue Star Group, will oversee 12 staff within Fairfax’s Australian Metro Publishing business which includes The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WAtoday.
Bohemia appoints Rebecca Hamilton as media director
Bohemia appointed Rebecca Hamilton to lead the agency’s Freedom Furniture and Michael Hill accounts and take on the role of media director. Hamilton joins from Disney Theatrical Productions where she was marketing director and worked on The Lion King and Aladdin The Musical. Bohemia’s head of media and investment Theo Zisoglou said within 10 minutes of meeting Hamilton, he knew she was the perfect person for the position.
New GoDaddy marketer to spearhead ANZ growth
Former brand lead at eBay and Marketing Academy graduate, Tracy Hall, has joined US internet domain giant GoDaddy as marketing director for Australia and New Zealand. Sydney-based Hall will be responsible for expanding GoDaddy’s global marketing efforts while ensuring its translation locally. The firm is the largest domain registrar in the world and is know for creating some risqué TV ads in the US, many of which have aired at the Super Bowl. TBWA and GoDaddy launched the first all-Aussie campaign in March last year. Read more here.
VisionDirect CMO arrives from senior marketing role at Hilton
VisionDirect.com.au has hired Ruth Cuadrado as its new chief marketing officer. Cuadrado, who has worked at Hilton Hotels Group in the US, as e-commerce director and marketing director, is responsible for overseeing the entire marketing efforts of Vision Direct, across Australia and New Zealand and abroad. Most recently she CMO at Vision Direct's parent company Motion Global, based in Shanghai.
Jenny Williams' new CMO role
Former top marketer at HCF, Jenny Williams, has resurfaced as CMO of comparison site giant, Compare the Market. Williams, who led the health insurers digital transformation, left in May 2017. She has more than two decades of experience in client side, digital and ad agencies. The comparethemarket.com site was founded in the UK in 2006 and arrived in Australia, based in Queensland, in 2012 - rolling out an ad campaign in 2013. The business is well known for its ‘Compare the Meerkat’ marketing campaign created by VCCP. The ad stars a CGI Russian billionaire meerkat called Aleksandr Orlov. The campaign was such a hit the brand spun off meerkat merchandise.
NewsMediaWorks appoints Tony Wilkins as an executive director
Tony Wilkins has been named executive director, environment, for NewsMediaWorks. He will be responsible for representing and advising the news media industry on product stewardship and environmental issues, responsibilities and commitments. Wilkins joins NewsMediaWorks from News Corp, where he has been Head of Environment since 1990. He is also Chair of the NewsMediaWorks Environment Advisory Group, which was established in 2012 to continue the work of the Publishers National Environment Bureau.
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