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DADA hires former News International director as commercial chief

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

June 4, 2010 | 4 min read

Glasgow-based marketing company DADA has appointed Allan MacCaskill, former sales and marketing director for News International, to its board as commercial director.

MacCaskill has filled a number of senior marketing roles, most recently he rose through the ranks at News International where he worked from 2006 to 2009. Initially based in Scotland, he took the Scottish Sun to market leadership before being promoted to News International’s London Office where he had responsibility for The UK’s biggest selling newspapers, The Sun and The News of the World.

MacCaskill’s previous senior marketing roles include marketing management for Scottish and Newcastle in Edinburgh, head of marketing for Center Parcs Europe based in Rotterdam and head of marketing for David Lloyd Leisure in London.

MacCaskill returned to Scotland in July 2009 and has spent the last year working with News International and a number of other organisations on a consultancy basis. He has worked with DADA on a number of initiatives during his time at News International.

Speaking about his appointment, MacCaskill said: “Since coming back to Scotland I have been looking for the next exciting challenge and a role with an organisation that has marketing at its core. Since its inception DADA has shown an appetite to break the rules, challenge perceptions and an energy and passion to use marketing to make things happen. I’m thrilled to be joining such a young, vibrant and ambitious organisation.

“Over the years DADA has expanded, evolved and diversified and has consistently stayed ahead of competitors with its unique approach to marketing. The challenge now is to maintain that momentum while entering a new phase of growth and development for the business.”

DADA has evolved from a PR and events agency, established in 2003, to a full service integrated marketing company with valuable intellectual property including itison.com a unique online tool, launched in 2009, with more than 25,000 members.

DADA Ventures division, launched in 2008, creates, owns and runs major events across Scotland. The next of these is GLAM in the City taking place in June 18 to 20 which will be the largest female consumer show ever staged in Scotland.

DADA Ventures also this week announced its plans for “Festival in the Sky”, the Scottish Premier of the world renowned “Dinner in the Sky”, a 22 person restaurant which offers a unique dining experience more than 100 feet in the air. Dinner in the Sky has already been successful in more than 30 cities across the world including Las Vegas, Paris, Prague and Melbourne. DADA’s Festival in the Sky is a taster experience of Dinner in the Sky and will be located at the foot of Edinburgh Castle in Princes’ Street Gardens throughout August.

Oli Norman (pictured left), MD of DADA, said: “Allan has an outstanding track record in the marketing and media environment and his skills and experience will, without doubt, make an invaluable contribution to DADA. The creation of the role of commercial director also heralds a new era for DADA: an era of expansion and diversification.

“In times of economic cutbacks, the most successful businesses look to seize any new opportunities that are available. Allan’s appointment and our expansion plans at DADA are all part of our ambitions to do just that.”

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