Banking it
Shane Evans has been promoted to the role of general manager of marketing at ASB. Previously he was head of brand and retail marketing.
“We are very pleased to be able to promote Shane to this key role,” says ASB’s executive general manager of marketing and communications Roger Beaumont. “Over the last four years Shane has led a wide variety of successful initiatives for ASB and he comes into this role fully equipped to hit the ground running.”
Evans joined ASB in 2011 as head of marketing communications and prior to that he worked in marketing in Australia and the UK for over a decade and led the global rebrand of Aviva including Norwich Union, the UK’s largest insurer.
This appointment follows the departure of general manager of marketing Anna Curzon, who has moved to Spark to take up a new role as general manager digital first. She will be (jargon alert) “leading a new strategic programme announced by Spark New Zealand in January 2015 to centrally architect and accelerate the ongoing delivery of the digital transformation of their business through an ‘outside-in’ customer focus adopting disruptive digital mind-sets and action”.
A new title
Following on from the departure of two big editorial names, Tim Murphy and Jeremy Rees (and in keeping with the trend for editorial staff to do more), Herald on Sunday editor Miriyana Alexander has been appointed to a new and extended senior role of editor, Weekend Heralds.
As part of the new role, she will retain the editorship of the Herald on Sunday and add the Weekend Herald to her responsibilities.
“We know our weekend readers and audiences are in a different frame of mind, and Miriyana is perfectly placed to bring them the best journalism and content across Saturday and Sunday,” said Herald Brands managing editor Shayne Currie, whose role has also been extended recently. “Having one editor for the two mastheads makes good sense – Miriyana will have the artillery to bring the best mix of investigative journalism, news, business, sport and entertainment in the papers, at nzherald.co.nz and across our digital platforms.”
Alexander, a former Qantas Reporter of the Year, became Herald on Sunday editor in November 2013, and is a former deputy editor of the Sunday Star-Times and head of news for Fairfax in Auckland.
Under her leadership, the Herald on Sunday was the only Sunday newspaper to increase circulation last year, and it is a finalist in the best weekly newspaper category at this year’s Canon Awards.
Lorimer out
MediaWorks group head of communications Rachel Lorimer has added her name to the list of senior departures at the company and is set to take up the role of head of communications with St John.
While she’s loved her time in the role and the executive team she works with, she said she knew she couldn’t stay in media forever and is really looking forward to moving into the realm of government and NGO. And she’ll no doubt be looking forward to not having to deal with weekly crises.
She has been with MediaWorks for around four years and it certainly hasn’t been the easiest of runs, with a receivership, a few big changes to management and plenty of unwanted media attention this year for various reality show whoopsies and the official review of Campbell Live.
She follows in the footsteps of head of TV Paul Maher, legal counsel/company secretary Clare Bradley and CFO Peter Crossan, who left the company after Mark Weldon took over as chief executive from Sussan Turner.
New clients, new human
Following on from holding on to the South Australia Tourism digital work and winning the digital and social work for existing clients Red Seal and Flip, Sugar & Partners has appointed Zoe Tester as social media and digital account manager. She joins the digital and client service team led by Dennis Carroll and Dave Nash.
“Digital and social is the fastest growing part of our business,” says creative and digital director, Dave Nash. “Our clients focus and demand for truly shareable work is at the heart of every brief, so bringing Zoe’s understanding and expertise from Air New Zealand in the measurement, analytics and management of always on social is a real coup.”
Tester was part of the team that drove Air New Zealand to be the country’s leading brand in social media and was key in the success of the social launch of the latest Hobbit Safety Video, arrival of the first 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft and Air NZ Fairy campaigns.
Previous to Air NZ, she has held roles at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Prime Ministers’ office.
Mmmmmmmm, data
Data and analytics agency Datalicious has announced the appointment of Kasmira Sewpershad, formerly interactive account manager at Mediaworks, as the country manager for its New Zealand business.
Sewpershad’s role is to manage the agency’s New Zealand business, lead client relationships on key existing accounts as well as drive new business opportunities.
Director and dounder of Datalicious, Christian Bartens, said New Zealand has been a key market for the agency and was the first overseas market Datalicious moved into following investment from credit reporting bureau, Veda.
“We’ve always had a great relationship with New Zealand brands and we’re now able to truly deliver great customer service with Kasmira on the ground.”
Sewpershad said that coming from a media background in New Zealand and looking at overseas trends, she knew years ago that data was becoming an area of increased importance and investment for brands as it delivered greater accountability.
“Return on marketing investment and return on ad spend are more important now than ever. Without a doubt, clients want accountability and we want to give control back to the client. The products and services Datalicious offers help clients know exactly what is and isn’t working, as well as when and where marketing spend needs to be shifted to meet their marketing and business objectives.”
Seeing stars
Yahoo New Zealand has announced the winners of its 2015 Digital Stars programme. Now in its third year, the awards programme recognises up-and-coming talent in the New Zealand and Australian media planning and buying industry.
This year’s competition saw a 155 percent year-on-year increase in the number of entrants, with nine winners selected from across New Zealand and Australia.
“It is my pleasure to congratulate the winners of this year’s Yahoo Digital Stars programme, and in particular, our New Zealand Digital Stars, Ains Baguion (right), from OMD Auckland and Sarah Wilson, from Mediacom Auckland,” says Louis Niven, general manager sales at Yahoo New Zealand. “We’ve seen a huge increase in the number of entries this year, and Digital Stars continues to resonate strongly with agencies as a significant platform for our best and brightest young media planners and buyers to gain industry recognition. As ever, the quality of the entries received was outstanding and a tribute to the strong talent we have in New Zealand.”
The winners will be rewarded with full access to this year’s Mumbrella360 conference in June with the prize including a trip to Sydney, lunch with Yahoo7 chief executive Ed Harrison, a networking dinner with senior Yahoo7 and Yahoo New Zealand staff, as well as a number of networking opportunities and entry into the Mumbrella Awards, hosted by Yahoo7.
Good move
Bruce Pilbrow, managing director of Film Construction Group, has taken the role of chief executive officer of CanTeen, the organisation supporting young people living with cancer.
Pilbrow has worked in senior leadership roles in both the commercial and social profit sector and led The Parenting Place for nine years, is chairman of the board of ZEAL, an organisation using the arts as a positive influence on troubled youth, and he spent two years as the deputy chief families commissioner.
“I am extremely excited to lead an iconic and amazing brand that makes such a significant difference in the lives of young adults who face the realities of cancer daily.”
CanTeen board chairman, Dion Mortensen, says he’s looking forward to working with him.
“He’s got a real vibrancy about him and our people will enjoy his passion and energy. I know the Board will equally support and be engaged by his ambition to promote the voice of young people,” he says.
He replaces David Pearce, who leaves CanTeen after six and a half years in the role.
Famous foodies
Ray McVinnie has joined NZME’s food hub Bite and, over at Bauer, Nici Wickes has signed on as food editor of NZ Women’s Weekly.
Asian fusion
NZME and the New Zealand Asian Leaders (NZAL) have formalised their relationship, with NZME becoming a major sponsor of the professional business group.
Mai Chen, a contributor to The New Zealand Herald, is the founder and chairperson of NZAL. And she says the sponsorship is significant given the changing face of New Zealand.
“In Auckland, in particular, where one in four people are Asian, but also throughout the country, mainstream media need to have this type of expertise embedded into their operation. NZAL networks with all of New Zealand’s key Asian media organizations. The makeup of customers is changing which means the way in which media communicates needs to reflect our changing demographic.
NZME group director commercial Sandra King says the partnership will see NZME working closely with NZAL.
“NZME has been engaged with the Asian business community in New Zealand for some time but this partnership will see us ramping up our business content offering in key areas of interest and relevance to this community.”
Chen believes that the partnership sends a strong message. The first joint NZAL/NZME event in June will be a session on ‘How best to communicate with Asian New Zealanders as customers and citizens’.
