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People on the move: Hires and departures at Twitter, Fox, Fifa, BBC Advertising and more

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

June 12, 2015 | 10 min read

This week has seen another wave of appointments and particularly high-profile departures at brands, media owners and agencies. The Drum has rounded up the key hires below.

Twitter's Dick Costolo is stepping down

Twitter

Twitter has announced that chief executive officer Dick Costolo is stepping down on 1 July of this year.

He will still continue to serve on Twitter’s Board of Directors.

Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chairman of the board, will serve as interim chief executive while the board conducts a search for a permanent replacement.

Fox

Rupert Murdoch will soon step aside from his role as the chief executive of 21st Century Fox, according to reports from CNBC.

The 84-year-old media mogul is preparing to give control of the company to his son James, the publication has cited sources close to the family.

The company is expected to make an announcement in the coming week regarding the change in personnel and Murdoch's succession.

Fifa

Fifa’s communication chief Walter De Gregorio has resigned after his boss Sepp Blatter reportedly failed to see the funny side of a poorly-judged joke poking fun at the bribery scandal presently engulfing the organisation.

Speaking on Swiss TV during an appearance on the Roger Schawinksi Show, Gregorio asked: “The Fifa president, secretary general and communications director are all travelling in a car. Who’s driving?” before delivering his punchline ‘the police’.

Following the appearance Fifa released a statement confirming Gregorio’s immediate departure.

BBC Advertising

BBC Advertising, part of BBC Worldwide and broadcaster's commercial arm, has appointed Alistair McEwan as senior vice-president of commercial development in Asia, Australia and New Zealand as its looks to capitalise on growth opportunities in the region

McEwan, who joined BBC Worldwide in July 2013 as VP for BBC Advertising ANZ, will now be responsible for the delivery of advertising sales revenues from the Asia-Pacific territory on a range of BBC properties including BBC World News, BBC.com and Top Gear.

ZenithOptimedia

RadiumOne has appointed ZenithOptimedia France’s chief data officer, Julien Braun, as senior director of data and platform, EMEA.

Braun will be responsible for developing the programmatic consultancy’s product and data team as it continues to expand through Europe. He will also provide guidance to new and existing customers and sit on the European executive board.

MediaCom

MediaCom has appointed ZenithOptimedia veteran Rupert McPetrie to head-up its leadership team in China, assuming responsibilities from acting chief executive Mark Heap following Michael Zhang’s move to GroupM at the tail end of 2014.

McPetrie, currently chief executive for Zenith’s Central and Eastern European operations, will assume his new role in August.

DigitasLBi

Julian Baker has been appointed as senior designer at DigitasLBi Design Group.

He will work as a designer and illustrator across all agency clients, reporting to executive vice president-global executive design director Matthew Jacobson. He will be based in Chicago.

FCB

Leo Burnett’s chief creative officer Susan Credle is leaving to serve in the same role at FCB Worldwide.

She replaces Jonathan Harries, who has served as chief creative officer since 2006 and who will now become chairman of the network. Credle will begin her new role next January.

Carter Murray, FCB Worldwide chief executive, said in a statement that he and Harries began searching for a replacement a year ago.

Weve

Mobile marketing proposition Weve has promoted Nigel Clarkson to the role of managing director, following its takeover by O2.

Clarkson, who was previously commercial director, will take up his new role with immediate effect, reporting to Robert Franks, MD of O2 Commerce.

In his new role he will lead a restructure of the Weve business, with the view to aligning operational synergies with O2 and helping integrate the Weve brand.

HMG Consulting

HMG Consulting, Havas Media’s independent consultancy and solutions offering, has appointed Oliver Southgate as head of data and technology solutions.

He will be tasked with the delivery of data and tech projects across the practice’s portfolio, as well as leading a team of consultants who will work across strategy.

Southgate brings more than 17 years of experience to the position,and was most recently chief technology officer and director of product development for The Social Ad Group.

Solve

Solve, Minneapolis-based advertising and branding agency, has welcomed Eric Husband as creative director.

Husband has worked at many agencies. Most recently, he served as the executive creative director for C+M.

Throughout his career he has led campaigns for many major brands including BMW Mini, Aveda, and Nestlé.

Willoughby PR

Willoughby PR (WPR) has been the subject of a management buyout for an undisclosed sum in a deal that sees current managing director, Jane Ainsworth, become the majority shareholder.

Julia Willoughby, the Birmingham-based public relations and digital agency’s founder and chief executive, will retain a significant shareholding in the business along with deputy managing director, Jo McCarthy. Meanwhile, the agency’s head of B2B, Tom Leatherbarrow, will also join the board.

Myclever

Global social media agency Myclever Agency has appointed Rob Edwards to head up its UK creative team as it looks to expand its roster of clients worldwide.

Formerly head of multi-media at AO.Com, Edwards takes charge of the agency's team of digital and social experts to further develop innovative campaigns and micro-content.

Sprinklr

Sprinklr, social technology company, has named Tom Butta as its first-ever chief marketing officer.

Throughout his career, Butta has served in the same role for many tech companies including AppNexus, Nice Systems, PTC, and Red Hat.

Kenshoo

Marketing software company Kenshoo has named Steven Hartman as its vice president of marketing.

Prior to landing this role, Hartman worked on the marketing for VigLink, Acxiom, Rubicon Project and Yahoo.

Commerce House

Dallas-based agency, Commerce House, has hired magazine publisher Phyllis Cole McKnight to help grow its client base as head of business development.

Commerce House is best known for its work with Samsung, Pizza Hut, and Texas Health Resources.

Kwittken

Global PR agency Kwittken has named Adam L. Snyder to the newly created role of chief digital officer.

Previously, Snyder had worked with major clients such as Bank of America, IBM, Havas Worldwide, and RAPP.

In the role, he will help lead and expand the agency’s offerings when it comes to both digital and social strategy in the US, UK and Canada.

RTO+P

Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners (RTO+P) has named Hilary Craven, who previously served as head of experiential and earned media at 72andSunny, as chief marketing officer (CMO).

The appointment comes as RTO+P continues to grow and shift its focus from regional to national clients.

The Philadelphia-based agency opened its California office a year and a half ago and since then has won accounts from Dockers, Kellogg’s Morningstar Farms, and The Honest Kitchen.

MediaMath

MediaMath has hired Ishaq Platero as sales director for Spain.

Platero joins MediaMath from Sizmek (formerly MediaMind). During his eight years there, he progressed from account manager, Spain to onboarding specialist and sales account manager.

His appointment follows the opening MediaMath’s Madrid office as a result of growing adoption of programmatic tech in the region.

WMG

Ana Leckenby is to join WMG as head of digital creative strategy.

Originally from Mexico City, Leckenby started her career at General Motors and then at Cadburys, working in communications specialists roles. She moved agency-side, working for agencies in the WPP Group before moving to the UK in 2007.

Based at WMG's Harrogate HQ, she will advise clients on their digital strategies, content and creative marketing.

Think Jam

Think Jam has promoted Philip Rose and Daniel Noy to joint managing directors.

The promotion enables the two agency leaders to work in tandem to drive the delivery of marketing services for the entertainment marketing agency.

Noy has been with the agency since its inception and was until recently group creative director,

Rose, previously commercial director, joined the group in 2010 and after holding the director of film post at Premier Comms. He has also worked at Fox Searchlight Pictures, Intermedia Films and Sony Pictures.

BrightMove Media

BrightMove Media has appointed Jamie Lindsay as interim chief executive officer with immediate effect.

Formally managing director at Amscreen, Lindsay’s appointment to the board will see him take over the role as chief executive from Piers Mummery who has now become commercial director.

BlisMedia

BlisMedia has appointed Ben Tatton-Brown as chief strategy and marketing officer.

Tatton-Brown is serial entrepreneur with 20 years digital advertising experience, he co-founded ad tech firm Amobee, which was acquired by SingTel in 2012.

As chief strategy and marketing officer, he will play an integral role as Blis continues to grow its global footprint.

Havas

Havas Worldwide Chicago have announced that Drew Donatelle has been named executive creative director.

He joins Havas Worldwide from Twitter, where he served as senior brand strategist on the auto, dining and retail verticals.

House of Kaizen

House of Kaizen has hired Carl Lawrence and Fahmi Mohammed to bolster its London team.

Lawrence joins as director of planning and whilst Mohammed joins as media manager.

The pair will work across various accounts including Avis Budget Group, Superbreak and Lloyds Online Doctor.

Want to get your career on the move? Check out The Drum Job page and follow @TheDrumJobs for updates.

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