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

Neish Replaces Thomas in Top Role at DARE
DARE has appointed Richard Neish to the position of managing director. He replaces Leigh Thomas, who is joining Facebook as its director of global client partnerships, EMEA.

The move sees Neish head up a new-look senior team, including DARE’s new chief technology officer Michael Olaye, managing partners Jamal Cassim and Reeha Alber-Shah, and joint heads of experience planning John Gibbard and Roz Thomas.

Neish has been at DARE since 2009 and has played a key part in the development of the agency, leading its Digital Transformation Practice and structural and organisational consultancy on key client accounts Investec and EE.

“Leigh has been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at Facebook. It’s a natural progression in her career and we wish her all the best. We’re sure she’ll bring the same drive and devotion to her new role as she has to DARE,” said Sharon Whale, CEO of DARE parent company OLIVER Group UK.

“Promoting Richard to managing director is a no-brainer. He has DARE DNA running through his veins and he’s played a pivotal part in guiding the agency along its journey into a new era of digital. Richard is part of a new generation of passionate leaders at DARE. He, alongside Jamal, Reeha, Roz, John and Michael are fiercely determined to continue to develop ground-breaking ideas and work for clients, and will keep driving the business forward.”

Games Expert McGrath Heads to BeMyEye
Mobile crowdsourcing firm BeMyEye has hired ex-Zynga gamification expert Patrick McGrath as director of product – app & community, to bolster the strength and functionality of its offering.
McGrath has launched many successful games on mobile and desktop for Zynga group brands NCsoft, PopCap and NaturalMotion. At BeMyEye, his role will be to further develop the company’s app, driving increased user retention and expanding the functionality of the product to help businesses gain crowdsourced, real-world insights.

“BeMyEye’s offering is a disruptive game-changer and I’m very excited to be part of this rapidly-expanding business,” said McGrath. “The real world insights gathered through the gamified environment provide unique benefits for businesses, whilst engaging the audience obtaining the information. Gamification has the potential to completely change the way the crowd engages with the world of work.”

At the end of May, BeMyEye announced €6.5m in Series B funding from Nauta Capital, P101 and previous investors. The news coincided with BeMyEye’s acquisition of one of its major competitors, LocalEyes.

Keystone Boosts Technology Practice with Tuohy Hire
Solicitor Tracy Tuohy has joined Keystone’s technology practice from Motorola Solutions, where she was senior counsel. With almost 20 years’ experience gained from senior strategic roles at 02, Vodafone and Motorola, Tracy is an experienced commercial lawyer with extensive experience in the technology and telecoms sector. Her practice has a particular emphasis on complex commercial transactions and data privacy and is well placed to advise companies in both the public and private sector.

“Tracy’s impressive specialist experience of the IT and telecommunications space will make her a key addition to the team and her appointment demonstrates our ongoing dedication to strengthening our sector focus,” said Keystone Law founder and managing director, James Knight.

Darragh Takes on CEO Role at TotalMobile
Mobile software firm TotalMobile has recruited Jim Darragh as its new CEO. The move is part of an ambitious plan to treble the size of the business in the next three to five years.
Darragh joins TotalMobile from CMO Compliance, which provides enterprise health, safety, environment and quality software. He was also previously CEO of Ipanema Technologies, CEO of Zeus Technology, and an SVP at SAP.

“What attracted me to the firm is that it makes a real difference to people’s lives,” said Darragh. Because of TotalMobile’s software, employees in industries like health and social care save time and get the chance to focus on doing the best job possible, which boosts morale, increases retention and service quality.”