Orange Bus appoints Kris Kennedy as managing director and Phil Jones as non-exec director in growth-fuelled restructure
Orange Bus has appointed Kris Kennedy, the digital agency’s former head of operations, as managing director to oversee a team of five new directors and support the company’s growth strategy.
The agency’s co-founders Mike Parker and Julian Leighton take on chief innovation and chief executive officer roles respectively.
Leighton said: “Kris has been running the day-to-day operations for some time now. Formalising and restructuring the team means he can run the business in a way that allows crucial decisions to be made quickly as the opportunities come in. Kris is an incredibly safe pair of hands and allows us to separate the management of the running of the business from the turbulence of rapid growth.
“We’ve had a phenomenal six months and are ahead of target for the first half of the year. Increasing our client spread, particularly into Government work, has been transformational for the business - we now have a dedicated team working for HMRC.”
Leighton continued: “Digital channel shift strategy is a major growth area for us and big organisations investing in innovation around their core services are providing us with the opportunities for exponential growth.”
Kennedy said: “This is such an exciting time for Orange Bus. We have an incredible pool of talent and the new structure provides firm foundations for an ambitious management team with a clear vision for future growth.”
Orange Bus’s new team of director has been unveiled as Ian Gifford (creative director), Chris Scudder (technical director), Sam Manson (client services director), Jo Little (business engagement director) and Joanne Rigby (UX Director).
In addition, industry veteran Phil Jones joins as non-executive director and mentor to the management team. Widely recognised as one of the most connected people in digital, Jones is one of only 20 people inducted into the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA) Digital Hall of Fame.
He said: “I am thrilled to have joined Orange Bus. I love the creativity within the business, the quirky and warm reception, the camaraderie they have within the team. I’m honoured to be part of it.”
Headquartered in Newcastle, Orange Bus opened its first London office last year and now employs a team of more than 50. Orange Bus clients include HMRC, Barbour, the NHS, Capita, Pearson Education, Philips, Joules, Aston Martin Racing, the Department for Education, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and Sage.
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