People on the move: Hires and departures at Google, Reddit, the Times and more
Google has restructured its advertiser product management team by enlisting Google product manager Brad Bender to oversee its buy-side products.
With eight years if experience in his current role, Bender currently oversees Google Display Network.
He will now add oversight of DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) and the ad server DoubleClick Campaign Manager (DCM) to his list of responsibilities, according to Ad Exchanger.
Reddit is looking to bolster its offering as a credible news source, tapping Mark S. Luckie, Twitter's former news manager as its head of journalism and media.
Luckie will be tasked with learning from media and government organisations how they are using the website. The feedback will help shape the future of later product releases from Reddit.
The so-called ‘front page of the internet’ last year launched a specialised news servicecalled Upvoted hoping to mine its content for news stories before external media outlets do so.
The Times
News UK’s weekly journal Times Literary Supplement (TLS) has appointed Stig Abell as editor and publisher following the news that Sir Peter Stothard will be stepping down after 14 years.
Current editor Sir Peter Stothard will leave his role at the end of April but will stay on as a consultant.
Abell is currently serving as managing editor of The Sun and has been a regular contributor to The TLS, The Spectator and to Sky News.
Pubmatic
Just months after laying off 20 per cent of its workforce, Pubmatic’s global chief revenue officer Rob Jonas has exited the company taking the role of senior vice president of revenue at data and analytics firm Factual, with no direct replacement for the C-level role.
Pubmatic has confirmed with The Drum that Jonas’ role, which he occupied since late 2013, will “be assumed by a strong layer of regional vice presidents who now report directly to Kirk McDonald, PubMatic’s president”.
Dentsu Sports Asia
Dentsu Sports Asia (DSA) has appointed Stuart Ramalingam as vice president and head of Dentsu Sports Asia's Malaysia operation. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Ramalingam's remint includes strengthening and exapnding DSA's portfolio of sports business in Malaysia and the wider region working closely with the Dentsu Aegis Network group of companies.
DigitasLBi
DigitasLBi has boosted its senior talent in its Singapore office after a string of new business wins, including UOB, Pernod Ricard and Unilever.
The agency has hired Knox Balbastro as regional associate creative director, Lauren Ahearn as business director and Lawrence Lee as strategy lead.
Two Circles
Two Circles, the data-driven sports marketing agency, has reshuffled its executive team to expand internationally as it looks to play a bigger role in the expansion of GroupM's sports marketing offering.
The firm has brought in and promoted talent; Monsoon Accessorize’s operations director Matthew Entwistle joins as group managing director, while former head of membership at the Guardian Dale Kirsop has been named commercial operations director. Existing members of the Two Circles senior team Phil Stephan, Jackie Hunter and Kristian Gotsch have been elevated to lead the agency’s global consulting offer, technology development and its Swiss offering respectively.
Two Circle’s founders will take on new roles, with chief executive Matt Rogan becoming chairman and Gareth Balch taking over his responsibilities. Rogan will now take on the larger role of devising the growth strategy for ESP Properties.
Havas Media Group UK
Havas Media Group has promoted managing director Paul Frampton to chief executive of its UK and Ireland business.
His promotion follows group managing director Pedro Avery's move to head up the Havas Sports and Entertainment network.
Frampton is credited with aligning the management teams for Havas Media Group’s Havas Media, Arena Media, Forward Media and Havas Sport and Entertainment brands alongside agencies DBi, AIS London and Arnold KLP. He also played a key role in expanding the group to the North West with the opening of Havas Village Manchester.
Harte Hanks
US marketing services provider Harte Hanks has named Shirish Lal as the organisation's new executive vice president, chief operating officer & chief technology officer with effect from March.
Lick Creative
Lick Creative has announced a series of senior team appointments, including the promotion of Mark Sibborn to deputy managing director.
Previously client services director, Sibborn's new role will see him take responsibility for the P&L of the business. Stuart Button also joins as creative director with a creative pedigree spanning iris Worldwide, DDB and Leo Burnett.
Button will be working alongside Kerry Afxentiou, who has joined as group account director from Result.
Telegraph Media Group
The Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has poached Yahoo's vice president of international marketing Robert Bridge to become its first chief commercial officer.
He will oversee all marketing, data & insight, brand management and customer experience projects for the media group. Bridge starts in March and will report to chief executive Murdoch MacLennan.
Bridge previously worked at the Telegraph in 2001, holding the title of strategic development manager for two and a half years.
J. Walter Thompson Kuala Lumpur
J. Walter Thompson Kuala Lumpur has announced the hiring of Raymond Khor as general manager, Christopher Koh as digital business director and Deric Cheong as finance director.
Khor takes on the newly created role with more than 15 years' advertising and marketing experience, including stints at Ogilvy & Mather, Grey and Mindshare.