Movers & Shakers: Wieden+Kennedy, SpotX, Spotify, One Championship, Doro and ZTE USA

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 who’s joined which company, and what they’re doing there.

(Left to right) Karrelle Dixon, Sarah Lewis, Zuzanna Gierlinska, Jack Lim, Peter Marsden and Angela Simpson

Karrelle Dixon Heads to Portland for Wieden+Kennedy
Global agency Wieden+Kennedy has promoted Karrelle Dixon to managing director of its Portland headquarters. Dixon, who joined W+K London in 2006 as an account manager, most recently served as director of growth markets at the firm, supporting the company’s offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Delhi.

Dixon steps into the role as agency veteran Tom Blessington exits the firm for YouTube, where he will take on the newly-created role of vice president of brand, media and experiences. Under his leadership, the Portland branch of Wieden+Kennedy expanded its client base to include some of the world’s most exciting brands and more than doubled its staff to over 600 people.

“I have inherited an incredible business and brand that I am truly humbled to now lead,” said Dixon. “I am excited to work with my partners Eric Baldwin and Jason Bagley to build on the breakthrough work that Wieden+Kennedy has been making with great client partners. As we move into the next chapter of our story, my hope and goal is that we continue to be a diverse and dynamic environment that set the standard for creative excellence in the industry.”

“Saying goodbye to the familiar and hello to the new and unknown is literally what Dan has preached as a creative philosophy since the inception of Wieden+Kennedy,” said Blessington. “My move is merely putting his wisdom into practice professionally. And as hard as it is to leave a place I love and helped build for almost a quarter of a century, I think every career agency account person wonders what life would be like working on the client side.”

SpotX Continues to Grow Demand Team for Europe
Video ad serving platform SpotX isn’t letting its acquisition slow down its growth in the UK and Southern Europe, and has appointed Sarah Lewis as demand facilitation manager for the region. She will join the team advising buyers, including brands, their agencies and DSPs, on inventory available on the SpotX platform.

Lewis brings six years of demand experience to SpotX, with her previous roles including sales account executive at BBC Worldwide and sales executive at AOL. Her most recent role was senior digital account manager at Fairfax Media in Australia. She will report to Ian Harman, who was appointed as head of demand for the UK and Southern Europe last year.

“SpotX is a fast-paced, innovative company at the forefront of programmatic video advertising,” said Lewis. “I am looking forward to joining a growing team and representing such a strong product suite within the programmatic space. As TV and digital advertising continues to merge, I will ensure that clients are able to increase their revenue streams as new technology opportunities develop.”

New European Head of Programmatic Named at Spotify
Zuzanna Gierlinska is set to take over responsibility for leading Spotify’s programmatic efforts across Europe, bringing 17 years of digital advertising industry experience to the role, where she will report to Marco Bertozzi, vice president of sales for Europe at the music streaming service.

Gierlinska was most recently director of the data management platform for EMEA at Oracle Marketing Cloud, and has previously held positions at BlueKai, aQuantive and Microsoft Advertising. She is also the co-founder of SilverBullet Data Services.

“I’m super excited to be joining the team at Spotify and driving its programmatic offering to the next level,” said Gierlinska. “The combination of differentiated media and data assets wrapped into a brand that consumers love makes it an amazingly powerful proposition and one I cannot wait to represent.”

Jack Lim Joins One Championship as Chief Commercial Officer
Former Mediacorp executive Jack Lim has been hired by mixed martial arts broadcaster One Championship to serve in the newly-created position of chief commercial officer. Lim will oversee growth opportunities for the promotion of One Championship as it looks to expand on its existing partnerships and create new global ones.

Lim spent the last three years as chief commercial officer at Mediacorp. He was also the vice president of media sales for Sony Pictures Asia for six years, communications director for ASEAN at IBM, and director of international sales at CNBC Asia Pacific. During this time, he has built a wealth of experience for building brands and growing businesses across the media and tech industries.

At One Championship, he will also be responsible for uniting and leading all of One Championship’s existing revenue streams, overseeing sponsorships, media rights, merchandising, tickets and brand licensing. Mediacorp and One Championship recently signed a deal what will see Mediacorp broadcast matches on its OktoSports channel.

Peter Marsden Comes Onboard as MD for UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand at Doro
Doro, the global leader of the senior mobile phone market, has announced that Peter Marsden will be joining the firm as managing director of UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Marsden brings a wealth of experience to the role, with over 25 years of experience in the telecoms industry, which he will apply to the niche market of phones for seniors.

Marsden began his career at Panasonic in the mobile phone division before going on to work with Sony, and was part of the Sony Ericsson joint venture where he headed up the marketing department before becoming managing director for UK & Ireland. After helping to drive turnover close to 1bn (£921m), he joined Blackberry as vice president of Vodafone Global. He has since held roles as vice president of global carriers, enterprise at Blackberry and managing director for UK & Ireland at Gigaset Communications.

 “We are very pleased to bring Peter on board, as his extensive experience in telecoms will bring a fresh approach to the Doro business,” said Robery Puskaric, CEO of Doro. “I am confident that his reputation as a leader and mentor in the industry will benefit Doro hugely as we continue to go from strength to strength.”

Angela Simpson to Manage Government Relations for ZTE USA
Mobile and telecom systems provider ZTE USA is seeking to strengthen its ties with the US government, and has assigned Angela Simpson the position of vice president of US government affairs to manage its relationship with the government and oversee public policy matters in the United States.

Simpson was previously Deputy Assistant Secretary for the United States Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where she also held roles as Acting Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Office of the Assistant Secretary. In her new role at ZTE USA, she will be responsible for establishing and executing public policy and government relations objectives, managing a team of consultants based in Washington DC and working closely with senior management, industry associations and business partners.

“Angela Simpson’s policy experience and knowledge of the technology industry make her an excellent choice to lead US Government Affairs for ZTE USA,” said Lixin Cheng, chairman of ZTE USA. “We are excited to have her join us as we continue to invest in local partnerships that will help us deliver innovative products and expand our presence in the US.”