The mobile marketing industry is ever-changing, and that applies to the people as much as the technology. Movers & Shakers is our regular feature following the hottest hires in the industry, so you can keep track of who’s joined which company, and what they’re doing there.

Global revamps commercial structure
Media and entertainment group Global has announced a new commercial structure under the leadership of Mike Gordon, chief commercial officer, which sees the commercial team simplified into two distinct teams. Firstly, the Audio team, which will be led by Katie Bowden, and secondly the Outdoor and DAX team, led by Oliver Deane.

Global’s new, simplified, commercial operation will see Nigel Clarkson, director of commercial (outdoor) leave the company, having successfully completed the integration of the three recently-acquired outdoor companies into Global.

Katie Bowden, previously Global’s commercial agency director – national sales, takes on the new role of director of commercial audio. Bowden will oversee all sales and trading for terrestrial radio and IP connected radio, including Global Player and DAX, along with taking a joint lead with Oliver Deane in servicing and developing Global’s commercial agency relationships. Bowden joined Global in 2011 and has built an excellent reputation in the commercial media sector.

Oliver Deane, previously director of commercial digital (DAX) becomes the new director of commercial outdoor and DAX. Deane who also joined Global in 2011, will oversee all sales and trading for outdoor while continuing to lead DAX’s operations, data and North American businesses.

Deane, who worked at Clear Channel Outdoor prior to joining Global, has been instrumental in the success of DAX (Digital Ad Exchange) since its launch in 2014. Global announced the launch of DAX to include digital outdoor inventory in January 2020.

Mike Gordon, chief commercial officer at Global, said: “I am delighted to announce this new structure of our commercial division. This allows us, in a post COVID-19 world, to serve our customers in a far more simplified way, ensuring that we can truly deliver dynamic, innovative solutions across the whole of our audio, outdoor and DAX portfolio.

“Both Katie and Ollie are natural leaders, and along with the talented team at Global, will give us a great opportunity to build on our commercial success. I’d like to thank Nigel for all he has done at Global in the last 12 months, both professionally and culturally. His expertise and knowledge of the outdoor industry are second to none and I am hugely grateful for the role he has played throughout this transitional period.”

Kramer takes country manager role for UK and Ireland at Pinterest
Milka Kramer is joining Pinterest as country manager for the UK and Ireland. Kramer is a media and tech industry veteran with vast experience managing fast-growing sales teams and operations at the pan-European level. At Pinterest, her responsibilities will include working closely with brands and agencies to scale the platform’s growing advertising business in these countries.

She joins Pinterest from Microsoft where she spent the past 11 years, most recently as sales director on the UK strategic advertising team. She led a team that is responsible for driving revenue and managing relationships with some of the biggest clients and agencies in the UK by helping them identify the latest trends in consumer behaviour and technology adoption and aligning marketing strategies accordingly.
Before that, she was responsible for revenue and marketplace performance in 12 markets in Western Europe. She was also the Bing Ads product evangelist, driving awareness, perception and adoption of Bing Ads and Bing.com.

She said: “Pinterest is a unique and valuable platform for businesses to connect with audiences who are asking for inspiration from trusted brands, now more than ever. I’ve been especially impressed by how ads fit into what people are already doing on Pinterest as they plan projects, discover ideas and browse before they take action on what to buy. Ads on Pinterest stand out because they fit in, and I’m looking forward to joining the team to help even more businesses reach and engage with the inspired audience on Pinterest.”

Khan to UK MD at Unruly
Unruly has announced the appointment of Alex Khan as UK managing director. Following the acquisition of Unruly by Tremor International in January 2020, and its decision to make the Unruly brand its international arm, Khan joins Unruly at a pivotal time for the company, which is one of the world’s largest video marketplaces. As UK MD, Khan will lead in accelerating the ambitious growth of Unruly in the UK market. He will be focused on strengthening its offering as a unified platform for cross-screen video media services – including launching new services across CTV, in-app and InStream – and further cementing the strong reputation and position of Unruly with the additional capabilities that are added through Tremor.

Khan has over 25 years’ experience in the advertising industry, and brings with him key agency, client and partner relationships, end-to-end platform knowledge, and experience in integrating businesses and refining go-to-market offerings across different territories.

Khan joins Unruly after spending over a year as managing director for APAC at mobile advertising and app monetisation specialists, Smaato, in which he was a driving force in restructuring, reworking and reinvigorating the business’ go-to-market strategy in that region, all of which was achieved in his first 12 months. Khan has also previously held senior leadership positions at Oath, AOL, and was head of agency sales at Yahoo! UK.

He said: “Unruly is one of the biggest names in the video advertising industry – a truly multi-optional partner to clients, requiring a mix of deep industry knowledge, creativity and best-in-class products. Its recent acquisition by Tremor International gives the business an unrivalled, powerful proposition in the market. I can’t wait to continue driving the company’s growth in the UK through investment in a breadth of innovative new services – including CTV, in-app and InStream – to build a unified and integrated platform across any screen media services. I’m pleased to be joining the team and looking forward to working with the many talented people within the business.”

Hillier to head up product marketing at Adform
Adform, the integrated advertising platform Adform has promoted David Hillier to the newly-created role of head of product marketing. Hillier will be responsible for driving Adform’s product roadmap and implementing a go-to-market strategy ahead of new releases planned for later in the year. His role will be pivotal in bridging the commercial and product teams and building international awareness of Adform’s sophisticated Integrated Advertising Platform (IAP).

With a breadth of experience, Hiller spent more than five years within the television industry before moving to digital publishing, working for The Independent, London Evening Standard, and The I, before joining Adform in 2014. Having worked with and for Adform in various roles for nearly a decade, Hillier was the clear choice for the new product role. A passionate storyteller, he’s spent many years travelling the international conference circuit as a brand ambassador for Adform, communicating what the IAP means for the industry and speaking directly with marketers about their challenges and needs.

“Adform is a fantastic company to work for, giving me the freedom and autonomy to help make a positive difference to digital advertising – and I am very excited for this new challenge,” he said. “This is a natural transition based on my previous roles and experience, and the ability to translate both product and commercial needs will help my team and the company to succeed. I’m lucky to work with a team that I’ve built trust and friendships with over many years, and I look forward to seeing what our passion for Adform’s proposition can achieve at an international level.”

Barbier appointed SVP, product at Ogury
Ogury, the creator of an advertising engine driven by user choice, has appointed Antoine Barbier as senior vice president, product. In this role, Barbier will be responsible for scaling Ogury’s product team and leading the company’s product development globally.

Barbier is originally from France, where he began his career at a mobile advertising startup. In 2009, he moved to San Francisco to further pursue his career in ad tech, holding product and business development positions at Rhythm NewMedia, a mobile video advertising network, and TubeMogul, where he led the expansion and development of the company’s mobile products globally. Most recently, he held the role of director of product management at Adobe, leading a product team responsible for all advertising formats across devices, as well as reporting and insights products for the Adobe Advertising Cloud DSP. He is now returning to France to continue his career at Ogury, bringing more than 10 years of expertise in managing product strategy and operations from major technology companies.

He said: “I’m excited to join Ogury and focus on the mobile advertising ecosystem, which I believe remains untapped in its potential. Mobile is the key to understanding consumer behaviour; it shows advertisers how consumers learn, interact and eventually transact with a brand. “My mission will be to continue building a product suite that sits at the heart of a new ad tech ecosystem, trusted and appreciated by brands, publishers, and consumers alike. I am confident that with this supportive and energized culture, we are set to enable this new digital advertising approach, driven by consumer choice.”

Hallam appoints three new directors
Digital marketing agency Hallam has appointed three new directors, as part of strategic restructure. Charlotte Tomlinson (media director); Matt Berry (client services director); and Joe Powell (creative director), have all been promoted from within to take up the roles created within the expanded leadership team.

The news follows Julio Taylor and Jake Third’s appointment as CEO and managing director respectively at the beginning of May. Ben Wood has also seen his role pivot as part of the restructure, moving from digital director to strategy director. Jon Martin remains the agency’s Technical Director. Chris Bogin has also been named as Hallam’s new head of operations.

Charlotte Tomlinson is one of the agency’s longest-serving members of staff, joining Hallam in 2014 from the University of Nottingham. Charlotte started out as a digital marketing executive, progressing to team leader, and most recently head of SEO. She leads a department of experts developing integrated digital marketing strategies for a portfolio of B2B and B2C clients, ranging from SMEs to large international businesses.

Matt Berry joined Hallam in 2017 and steps into his new role having established himself as an integral figure within client services, offering strategic guidance to clients’ digital planning and strategies, along with leadership across the account management team. Prior to joining the agency, he spent four years in the luxury marketing sector, focusing on eCommerce internationally.

Joe Powell steps up from his position as head of design and has over a decade of agency experience. Notably, he has shaped the digital experiences of some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Nike, Arsenal Football Club, TGI Fridays, KFC, Speedo, McDonald’s, BrightHouse, Royal Mail, The Post Office, Sports Direct and Royal Doulton

“I am really proud and excited about the people that we have hired on to the leadership team, firstly because they have all come from within our agency. Over time, they have all grown at Hallam and are now in a position to step into incredibly important positions,” said Hallam CEO, Julio Taylor. “We’re in a pivotal spot right now with the economy we are operating in and these appointments will help us take the agency to the next level. Our strength is that we are able to make people that join us better, and I couldn’t be happier to see all of these individuals continue to grow their careers with us at such a key time in the agency’s history.”

Melis takes control of Three UKs network
Three UK has appointed Carlo Melis as chief network officer. He will be responsible for the continuing transformation of Three’s network to deliver major 4G enhancements and 5G for its customers.

Melis joins Three UK from Wind Tre in Italy, where he has held several senior roles across network and technology integration for the past 14 years. During this time, he was responsible for the network integration following the merger of Wind and 3 Italia, implementing a new telco cloud core and the radio access network.

While his initial focus has been on managing the resilience of the network due to COVID-19, his responsibilities will also include using the Three’s spectrum portfolio to enhance the network experience for its customers.

He said: “Three has been on an incredible journey, completely overhauling its network and IT infrastructure and laying the foundations for a 5G network that will dramatically transform the experience for its customers, at the same time as delivering major 4G improvements. I’m looking forward to joining Three, bringing my expertise to build on the great progress already achieved and to deliver a network that will stand the business in good stead long into the future.”

Finastra appoints Margaret Franco as chief marketing officer
Fintech Finastra has appointed Margaret Franco as chief marketing officer. Joining from Dell Technologies, she will be based at Finastra’s London headquarters, and take responsibility for leadership of the global marketing organization, including corporate communications, brand, digital, solutions and field and partner marketing.

She brings a wealth of marketing and product management expertise to the role from her career in the technology industry. Most recently she was senior vice president, EMEA marketing, Dell Technologies, where she oversaw marketing and demand generation activities across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

During her 13-year tenure at Dell Technologies, she held a number of executive global roles in North America, Europe and Asia in the commercial and enterprise product group organizations. She has also led global marketing functions, including as vice president of integrated marketing communications for Silicon Valley-based technology company, AMD.

She said: “Finastra’s work towards an open future in financial services, combined with the acceleration of its open FusionFabric.cloud platform to connect the market, fuel innovation and create new levels of financial inclusion and opportunity, is visionary. I’m thrilled to be joining the company at this exciting time.”

She will report to Eric Duffaut, president and global head of field and marketing at Finastra.

Confluence appoints Sunil Rajan as global head of sales
Confluence Technologies, a technology solutions provider to the worldwide money management industry, has appointed Sunil Rajan as global head of sales. In this role, he will be responsible for setting the company’s overall sales strategy and overseeing the global sales team responsible for executing on it. Rajan is based in Confluence’s Wimbledon office and reports directly to Todd Moyer, president and COO.

Following its acquisition of StatPro in October 2019, Confluence has combined its front-, middle- and back-office offerings to strengthen its position in data-driven, managed investment solutions. Confluence continues to deliver innovative solutions that meet the performance, reporting, analytics, risk and data needs of asset managers and service providers. Rajan will work with Confluence’s executive team to identify and implement sales strategies and establish domestic and international sales objectives, including volumes, cost of sales and product profitability.

Rajan comes to Confluence with more than 20 years of experience introducing and expanding business footprints across multiple markets and regions in the financial services and technology industries. Most recently, he served as managing director, EMEA & APAC at Axioma. Previously, he was head of business development (EMEA) for Standard and Poor’s Risk Solutions, and he has held senior leadership roles at Thomson Reuters, Misys and other global software, services and financial data companies.

He said: “The asset management industry wants best-of-breed risk, performance, regulatory and shareholder reporting solutions, supported by robust analytics and the latest technological innovation. Confluence leads the way in delivering these exact things, so its an exciting time for me to join the business and I look forward to working with the team to execute on the long-term growth strategy.”

Heineken chief to join Vodafone Board
Vodafone Group has announced that Jean-Francois Van Boxmeer will be appointed as a non-executive director following the company’s Annual General Meeting on 28 July 2020, subject to shareholder approval. It is the intention that he will succeed Gerard Kleisterlee as chairman of the Board on 3 November 2020. Gerard Kleisterlee, who has been Vodafone’s chairman for nine years, will step down and retire from the Board on that date.

Van Boxmeer is currently chief executive of Heineken N.V., the world’s second largest brewer. He has been Heineken’s chief executive since 2005 and will hand over the role to his successor in June 2020.

Since taking over as chief executive of Heineken in 2005, he has transformed the company into a truly global organisation through a balance of strategic transactions and organic growth. The success of his strategy has resulted in a nearly threefold increase in Heineken’s share price, and he is credited with creating significant shareholder value.

He joined Heineken’s Executive Board in 2001 and had worldwide responsibility for supply chain and technical services, as well as regional responsibility for the operating businesses in North-West Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. He joined Heineken in 1984 and held a number of senior roles in Africa and Europe, including general manager of Heineken Italy.

Vodafone chief executive, Nick Read, said: “I am delighted that Jean-Francois will be joining Vodafone and becoming Gerard’s successor. He has presided over a highly successful period of transformation and value creation at Heineken, has extensive international experience in driving growth through both B2B and B2C business models, and is highly-regarded as one of the longest standing and most successful CEOs in Europe. I look forward to Jean-Francois playing a key role in the next stage of Vodafone’s strategic development.”