Pinterest poaches Facebook global brand exec to lead UK team
Pinterest has snared one of Facebook’s account directors Adele Cooper to become its UK country manager in a bid to help it secure support from more brands across the region.
She is tasked with growing the business from London, which will revolve primarily around accelerating its marketing and partnerships efforts. Pinterest already has deals with brands such as Manchester United, Reiss, Waitrose, and Marks & Spencer and Cooper’s remit will see her look to come up with a more concrete proposition as to what separates the social network from its rivals.
She replaces Sarah Bush, who took the role in 2013, and will report Pinterest’s head of international Matt Crystal.
“As we grow our presence at the international level, we’re committed to hiring the best local talent and creating the best local experience possible for our Pinners,” Crystal added. “Adele’s immediate focus will be to build the best possible pinner experience for people in the UK. To do so, she’ll engage our passionate community of UK Pinners and work with local brands to help them leverage the platform to reach new audiences. Adele brings with her an impressive range of knowledge and experience, and we’re excited to have her lead one of our largest markets.”
At Facebook, Cooper worked as a director in the global accounts team where she led the relationship with Unilever for both the social network and Instagram. Previously, she had a six-year stint at Google, which saw her rise to director of online sales and operations for the UK, Ireland and Benulux.
Her appointment comes as Pinterest celebrates its second anniversary in the UK this month. The British version of the site has gained more than 1.6bn pins with more than 3 million added each day, according to the business, since it launched in June 2013.
Globally, Pinterest has been rapidly expanding its advertising offering over the last six months, bolstering its targeting capabilities, launching an in-house creative team as well as hiring a monetisation chief. Ecommerce has also been an area of particular focus for the business, which now lets users purchase directly from its sites using buyable pins following extended trials.