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Movings/Shakings: February 23

Rod Vaughan joins the NBR, TVNZ announces Guyon Espiner’s replacement for Q+A, fast Foxtrot means changes at Tango, Rochelle Weaver swaps bus shelters for banks, Martin Shanahan puts some new boots on at Tangible Media, The Pond continues to burst its banks, TradeMe trades up, mobile advertising network InMobi launches in New Zealand, the PR Shop adds to its Aussie arsenal, Tina McIntosh embraces the child within and Ben English takes over at Adobe.

Rod worthy

As we mentioned last week there have been five departures in the past three months at the NBR (“pure beat up” according to the ever-reliable Fastline). But on the hiring front, veteran TV journo Rod Vaughan has been signed up to work for NBR Online.

He spent 35 years at TVNZ working on ONE News, Frontline, Holmes, Sunday and Assignment and joined 60 Minutes in 2003.

His departure from MediaWorks adds to those of experienced reporters Amanda Millar (who now works for TVNZ’s Sunday) and Alison Horwood in late 2010 after the Wellington office was closed.

Bring the new guy on 

While Vaughan departs 60 Minutes, Guyon Espiner joined the programme this month. And TVNZ has announced Shane Taurima as his replacement on Q+A.

Taurima has worked in print, broadcasting and electronic media for the past 16 years, is co-presenter of Marae Investigates and is the executive producer and back-up presenter of Te Karere.

He spent 12 years in the Parliamentary Press Gallery and has covered four general elections.

Wanna dance? 

Auckland digital shop Tango Communications has promoted client services director Joel Frost to general manager.

Tango’s chief executive and founder Boyd Wason says he hired Frost last year with succession in mind, but the recent success of its new digital content platform pluk, which was created by Tango subsidiary Foxtrot Media, has accelerated the process.

“With pluk live on TV3 and Four and about to move into other markets, it’s taking up more and more of my time,” Wason says. “Joel’s more than ready to move into the chair, and I know our clients are thrilled to hear his talent has been recognised in this way.”

Dream Weaver

After three years as Adshel’s marketing manager, Rochelle Weaver is set to depart at the end of the week for a new role as a manager with the ANZ’s direct channels team.

Swapsies for Shanahan

After six years behind the wheel of ACP’s Top Gear NZ, Martin Shanahan has swapped cars for rugby and gumboots.

He will be managing the ad sales, marketing and sponsorship opportunities for Tangible Media’s NZ Rugby World, “arguably the greatest rugby magazine in the world”, and Primary Magazine, “Tangible’s answer to The Economist for New Zealand’s farming industry”.

He can be contacted on 021-394-008 or [email protected].

Moore talent

The Pond continues to burst its banks and has appointed Claire Moore, a former consultant at 3rd Eye Recruitment, as its fourth talent manager.

Moore has held senior positions at Wellington indie agency Wonderful and AIM Proximity, as well as American Express and McCann-Erickson in London.

“Itʼs this experience that makes Claire perfect when it comes to assessing the merits of UK creatives that pass by our door,” says The Pond’s director Leighton Howl. “Married to copywriter husband Bob, Claire’s deep understanding of agency structures, the creative process and what motivates different creatives to achieve at the highest level is sure to benefit clients everywhere.”

Trading up

Natalia Lee has been appointed to the newly created position of Trade Me’s national sales manager, which includes all of its New Zealand agency and direct sales management.

“Over the past two years she’s delivered outstanding results within the Auckland sales team especially with her work around the new targeting technologies now available on the TradeMe network,” says head of advertising Yael Milbank.

Lee has worked in the advertising industry for over seven years and, according to her profile on TradeMe, also scales ridiculously large mountains, travels the world, dives in remote tropical locations, hunts for a Crown Lynn vases and tends to her 20-year-old bonsai (aptly named Bonny).

Phone home

According to mobile advertising network InMobi, New Zealand smartphone mobile ad impressions grow 285 percent in the past 12 months and its network impressions reached 300 million per quarter in December 2011. So, on the back of these rather impressive numbers, it is launching into the New Zealand market.

The move comes off the back of a major capital investment of $US200 million from the largest telecommunications and media conglomerate in the Asia Pacific region, Softbank.

To spearhead the local launch, Mark Copplestone has been appointed as head of sales. Copplestone was vice-president of Groupon New Zealand and held many senior roles at TVNZ including group business manager of agency sales and general manager of digital media sales and prior to this he worked at Publicis New Zealand where he was managing partner responsible for Optimedia.

He will support the company’s general manager and regional director of Australia and New Zealand, Francisco Cordero, who is based in Australia. Cordero also comes to InMobi from Groupon and was previously general manager of Bebo Australia and New Zealand.

“New Zealand is a key market for InMobi and we have made a major commitment by hiring a seriously high-powered executive team,” says InMobi chef executive, Naveen Tewari. “We have recruited some of the best digital thinkers in the local industry to help us become as big a force here as we are in global mobile advertising.”

Copplestone will be supported by the regional team including newly appointed head of marketing Marc Fine, head of strategy Brendan Watmore, business development manager Richard Knott and interactive creative cirector Scott Polchleb.

Wrestling with Oz

The pr shop has appointed Amanda Kuhn as head of PR for the Australian arm of the business.

A former international marketing manager for World Wrestling Entertainment, she has spent 15 years working within the public relations and marketing arena with internationally based clients across the EMEA, APAC and US markets and joins after working with a Sydney-based PR firm as account director managing various clients within the motorcycle, entertainment, technology, retail and financial markets.

“With Amanda’s international experience, and knowledge of both the New Zealand and Australian markets we are now in a better position to offer trans-tasman clients a stronger level of service,” says director Sally Frewin. “Amanda intends to keep it as real as we have over the last six years and we are looking forward to an exciting 2012 for the agency.”

Frewin says the Australian business has gone from strength to strength since its arrival in the market two years ago, with clients including Nestle (MilkyBar and Uncle Toby’s), Fine Food Australia and Schwarzkopf Professional account.

Doin’ it for the kids 

Tina McIntosh has been appointed as the new director of marketing and commercial partnerships for Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand. As of March 26, she will be responsible for promoting Nickelodeon’s channels and their brands to consumers, carriers and advertisers.

The new appointment marks an internal transfer within Viacom International Media Networks, with McIntosh moving across to the vacant role in kids’ entertainment after working in music and comedy.

In her new role, McIntosh will work closely with all departments to develop brand profile and reputation for innovative creativity amongst key constituents, and build strategic marketing partnerships to drive distribution and revenues. She will also become a member of Nick’s global marketing council, which works with all brand partners to achieve common goals, and provide support for Nickelodeon’s sales, live events and consumer products businesses.

Having joined Viacom International Media Networks in April 2011 as the director of marketing and communications for MTV and Comedy Central, McIntosh successfully drove consumer awareness campaigns for properties such as Jersey Shore, Geordie Shore, the Optus One80 Project, and the launches of MTV Hits and MTV Classic channels in New Zealand.

She also spearheaded the New Zealand marketing of Comedy Central’s exclusive premiere of Angry Boys and the original Comedy Central Roast of Murray Mexted, all of which were were contributors to a string of successes for Comedy Central in New Zealand.

“Tina has proven that she possesses an amazing ability to rally people around everything she does, and we welcome her well-honed marketing expertise to the world of kids,” says Ben Richardson, vice president and general manager of Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand. “I’m confident that she’ll lead Nick and Nick Jr. to a wealth of new opportunities and keep us top of mind as the number one destination for kids and families.”

English lesson

Ben English has been appointed as Adobe’s group marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand.

With more than 15 years’ experience in ICT marketing, including senior marketing and customer relations roles at Microsoft UK and Australia, IBM UK and Australia and his own marketing consulting business, English will play an instrumental role in the development and execution of customer focused strategies across all of Adobe’s channels in Australia and New Zealand and will report to Mark Phibbs, senior director, APAC Marketing.

He will also be responsible for Adobe’s programme planning, demand marketing, resource and relationship management, and will manage the Adobe marketing teams in both countries.

“An irrefutable leader in the software industry, I am looking forward to joining the Adobe team to help strengthen our presence and reputation in Australia and New Zealand by creating world-class integrated and impactful campaigns to support Adobe’s product suite,” English says.

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