Movers & Shakers: M&C Saatchi, The Telegraph, Yoyo, Turner, Marketo & Clavister

The mobile marketing industry is ever-changing, and that applies to the people as much as the technology. Movers & Shakers is our 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.

(Clockwise from top left) Kate Bosomworth, Joanna Lawrence, Karen Eccles, Michael Rolph, Håkan Mattisson, Jill Rowley, Molly Battin


M&C Saatchi names Kate Bosomworth as new CMO

Kate Bosomworth, the board lead for the Board of Sport England’s ground-breaking ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, has been revealed as the new chief marketing officer at M&C Saatchi, the first appointment to the management team by Giles Hedger, M&C Saatchi’s CEO.

With almost 20 years’ experience in the communications industry, Bosomworth has developed a reputation for driving brand and business transformation. She built on of the most successful independent sports PR agencies in the UK, Speed Communications, which she led for almost 15 years. Since leaving the firm in 2016, she has been working with a select group of clients, focusing on the commercial development of women’s sport, as well as serving on the UK Government’s Sport & Business Council.

“Kate has a formidable energy, a unique blend of experience, and all the irresistible charisma of an agency entrepreneur,” said Hedger. “I have long wanted her to be part of the team, and I know that the M&C Saatchi brand will be stronger and more famous in her expert hands.”

“M&C Saatchi is one of the biggest agencies in the world and I love the principles upon which the agency was built,” said Bosomworth. “My career has covered a wide range of sectors, not just commercial but the political sector too, which will help me to work closely with the agency’s strong history of clients but also bring a different and fresh perspective to the business, its offering and products. I am hugely excited about being part of the new chapter at the agency.”

The Telegraph strengthens its commercial team with two new hires
Joanna Lawrence and Karen Eccles have joined The Telegraph’s commercial team as part of the publishers ongoing commitment to lead change within the UK media industry. The group has successfully evolved into a multi-platform digital news brand over the past few years, and is focused on diversifying into new revenue streams, including advertising, digital subscriptions, travel, financial services and events.

Joanna Lawrence joins the company with 18 years’ experience from the UK’s top agencies where she held strategy and operational management roles, most recently as chief content officer at OMD EMEA. She has the newly-created role of managing director, strategy and client development, leading the Client Strategy & Development teams and taking responsibility for trade marketing.

Karen Eccles joins The Telegraph from DC Thompson companies, Shortlist Media & Beano Studios, where she led transformation projects in digital and video. Prior to this, she spent two and a half years as commercial director at leading video adtech company Innovid, and has over 20 years’ experience in press, digital, radio and video overall. She has been recruited to serve as digital sales and innovation director, reporting to Dora Michail, MD of Digital.

“It is a please to welcome both Karen and Joanna to The Telegraph,” said Nick Hugh, CEO of The Telegraph. “Innovation and a strong client strategy are essential to sustaining the future success of The Telegraph, and the experience and expertise Karen and Joanna bring to their roles is invaluable.”

Michael Rolph announced as CEO at mobile loyalty firm Yoyo
Mobile payment and loyalty marketing platform Yoyo has gained a new chief executive in the form of Michael Rolph, former chief product officer at the firm, as co-founder and previous CEO Alain Falys steps up to become chairman of the company’s board. Rolph has been driving product, design and engineering at Yoyo since January 2016, and previously ran sales and marketing at the firm.

As CEO, Rolph will now also be responsible for implementing the company’s strategy for the next phase of its growth, as it targets a 10x increase in transaction volume over the next 18 months. Rolph was instrumental in bringing the firm’s platform to market, and his industry experience and vision for the retailer loyalty market has helped drive Yoyo’s growth and transform the company from a burgeoning startup into one of the UK’s most successful fintech firms.

“I am honoured to take on the responsibilities of CEO,” said Rolph. “We are living in a time where mobile-first retail is beginning to take hold and I am excited to be at the helm of such a talented team at Yoyo who are working tirelessly to deliver value to our customers and users every day.”

Turner promotes Molly Battin to executive VP, global CCO and CMO
Molly Battin, former chief brand strategy officer at Turner, has become executive vice president, global chief communications and corporate marketing officer at the broadcaster, reporting directly to chairman and CEO John Martin. Battin will be responsible for brand reputation across all platforms, internal and external strategic communications, media planning and buying, media relations and publicity, and assuring that all communications reflect the firm’s core values and advance its business strategy.

Battin has held leadership roles since joining Turner in 2000, including chief media and business insights officer and general manager of Turner’s health and lifestyle-themed entertainment brand Upwave. She also served as senior vice president of brand development and digital platforms for TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies, and led domestic marketing for CNN as vice president of strategic marketing.

“This is an exciting time in our company’s history, and Molly’s demonstrated leadership, forward-thinking approach and results-driven reputation will be critical as we continue to shape and push the boundaries of what’s possible for Turner,” said Martin. “Molly’s experience, energy and collaborative style will be extremely beneficial as we continue to advance the reputation of our Turner brand.”

Jill Rowley joins Marketo as chief growth officer
Marketo, a leading provider of engagement marketing software and solutions, has unveiled Jill Rowley, formerly of Oracle, as its chief growth officer. Rowley, a social selling expert, keynote speaker and strategic business advisor, will serve to evangelise on behalf of the Marketing Nation and expand the company’s digital sales transformation, reporting directly to Marketo CEO Steve Lucas.

“In the engagement economy, it’s not about selling a product. It’s about earning trust and delivering value by truly understanding the needs of your buyer,” said Rowley. “This leads to more revenue, greater market share, and personal growth for each individual who is part of the customer journey. I predict that by 2020 we’ll see a wave of chief marketing officers who lap sales in the revenue journey, and I am excited to be part of Marketo’s role in accelerating this shift.”

Rowley will concurrently serve as chief growth officer at Sales for Life, the largest social selling and digital sales training organisation in the world, and previously founded her own consulting practice, #SocialSelling, to help sales and marketing organisations evolve their digital transformation. She joined Oracle through its acquisition of Eloqua, where she helped companies modernise their marketing for more than 10 years, and has also held roles at Salesforce.com, TrackMaven, HubSpot and Affinio.

Clavister brings new group chief financial officer on board
Network security solutions company Clavister has hired Håkan Mattisson as its new group chief financial officer. Mattisson boasts decades of executive and multi-national experience in the IT and telecom space, and will serve as a key member of Clavister’s executive management team.

Mattisson was most recently working at Affecto, a Nordic business intelligence group, where he effectively created and managed cross-country financial teams, deal making and IFRS 15 implementation. Previously, he was deputy chief financial officer at DGC, reporting directly to the CEO, and was critical in the firm’s M&A strategy and due diligence that bought three companies, as well as setting up legal and reporting structures.

“I am very pleased to have recruited Håkan, who has a solid financial background as well as experience from executive positions,” said John Vestberg, CEO and president of Clavister. “It is also very valuable to use that those experiences have happened in the ICT and telecom sector where that special industrial knowledge is very important to create the market share ambitions we have. I look forward to having him by my side, helping me and the team guide our company to its next level of success and growth.”