Movers & Shakers: Teads, SpotX, TMG, the Evening Standard and Lebara

The mobile marketing industry is ever-changing, and that applies to the people as much as the technology. Movers & Shakers is a regular feature following the hottest hires in the industry, so you can keep track of whos joined which company, and what theyre doing there.

Teads Sweetens its Position with Mars Chocolates Media Director
Outstream video advertising firm Teads has announced that Marc Zander, former global media director of Mars Chocolate, has joined the company as global video president of client partnerships, where he will lead Teads efforts to work more closely with advertisers.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Marcs experience join our team,” said Bertrand Quesada, CEO of Teads. “His knowledge of global clients and agencies will be invaluable in helping us accelerate the growth of outstream video and reinforce Teads position as the number one player in this category.”

Zander is a 25-year veteran of the ad industry, with extensive media, marketing, innovation and brand activation experience in top FMCG companies across multiple categories. He spent five years at Mars Chocolate, and prior to that held key roles at Kimberly-Clark, Nestlé and Swatch.

“I am really excited to be joining the progressive and dynamic Teads team,” said Zander. “I see tremendous opportunities for both Teads and their clients to further leverage outstream video to better meet brand objectives and drive real growth from media.”

SpotX Continues to Build Demand Team for Europe
Video inventory management platform SpotX has added three new members to its buy-side demand team for the UK and Southern Europe as the area continues to grow. The new additions will advise buyers, including brands, their agencies and DSPs on inventory in SpotXs platform.

Natalie Stanley will serve as demand facilitation director, bringing five years of mobile advertising experience from Millennial Media to the role, while Tom Purcell puts his seven years of ad industry experience towards his new position of client development manager. Hannah Asante will use her background in telecommunications as demand operations coordinator.

All three will report to Ian Harman, who was appointed last  year by SpotX to act as the new head of demand for the UK and Southern Europe. The demand team supports buyers in identifying inventory opportunities for video campaigns, as well as advising on connected TV advertising.

“Having worked in mobile advertising for many years, I could see that more and more demand was being generated by the programmatic teams, with increasingly sophisticated buying requests,” said Stanley. “Brands are benefitting from the increased effectiveness and efficiency of programmatic mobile advertising, and I look forward to working at the forefront of advertising technology.”

TMG Fills Board with Marketing Heavyweights
Don Elgie and Mike McElhatton have been appointed to the board of The Marketing Group (TMG), with Elgie serving as non-executive chairman and McElhatton becoming chief financial officer for the global marketing company.

Elgie brings a wealth of top-level experience in the marketing sector, including 13 years as a FTSE chief executive at Creston PLC, and three years as chairman of AIM listed Crossrider PLC.

McElhatton formerly acted as chief financial officer at Havas and WPP, and brings extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, from both buy and sale side. The appointments come at a pivotal point for TMG, as it attempts to evolve and mature following a year of rapid growth.

“Don and Mikes appointments to the TMG board mark the next chapter in our evolution as we emerge from our initial start-up phase and hit the ground running with 17 wholly-owned subsidiaries covering 30 officers in eight countries,” said Adam Graham, CEO of TMG. “With Don and Mike on the board, I feel we have an incredibly robust structure in which to continue to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that we want to maintain at TMG.”

David Tomchak Becomes Digital Director for Editorial at Evening Standard
Seeking to rapidly accelerate its growing digital audience and commercial offering, the Evening Standard has appointed former head of digital for the Prime Minister David Tomchak as its digital director for editorial.

Tomchak joins from Number 10, where he led digital marketing communications for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Officer, and served as deputy director for the Government Communication Service. Previously, he spent almost a decade at the BBC as a journalist and digital specialist.

Reporting to managing director of digital Zach Leonard, Tomchak will assume responsibility for all Evening Standard digital editorial and production staff, and will work alongside the newspapers editor as part of an ongoing investment and product development plan for the publishers digital properties.

“Davids expertise in broadcast, social media and audience development will bring brilliant new skills to the Standards digital journalism,” said Leonard. “The dynamics of digital publishing call for provocative and engaging ways to gather and report news, which complement the successful formula of the newspaper, but also go beyond, to meet the demands of 24/7 mobile consumers, increasingly reading and sharing on devices and often through visual and video media.”

Lebara Find New Chief Financial Officer in Karen Griffiths
Specialist telecoms operator Lebara has named Karen Griffiths as its new chief financial officer. Griffiths brings more than three decades of financial leadership and senior management experience to the firm, having most recently served as chief financial officer at Acision.

She has also held financial leadership roles with Ingram Micro Europe and The Coca-Cola Company, where she spent 18 years in a variety of positions.

“I am delighted to welcome Karen on-board,” said Yoganathan Ratheesan, chairman and CEO of Lebara Group. “She brings with her a wealth of valuable experience that will ensure we can continue to serve the needs of the global migrant community, enabling more families, friends and colleagues to connect both at home and abroad.”

“I am excited to join such a dynamic team at Lebara as it continues to innovate, bringing quality products and services to migrant communities,” said Griffiths. “It is a fast moving marketing and while much of my experience will help me hit the ground running, I also look forward to what I have to learn in this market segment and its evolving opportunities.”