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MediaWorks announces slew of new hires

MediaWorks has been on a bit of a hiring mission, adding several new staff to its agency and national direct teams as well as promoting other staff.

This comes after a period of some major departures from the company, and release says that the staff shifts are being made to further strengthen the media company’s position.

Appointed to head of TV strategy is Michelle Cole, who will be responsible for leading MediaWorks’ television sales strategy across all agency and direct clients.

She will also help manage the industry change to CPM, lead the further integration of data and insights with the MediaWorks research department into MediaWorks’ television sales offerings, lead for MediaWorks on the Bravo workflow and also assist in pricing and inventory usage along with upskilling various sales teams.​

In her time at MediaWorks, Cole has worked in a range of television sales roles, most recently as general manager agency sales, and previously as group sales director and group sales manager.

Donna Gurney has been appointed general manager agency sales, replacing Cole. 

Gurney will begin the role in July, managing MediaWorks’ largest portfolio of agency business 

Gurney had a 13-year media career at APN/NZME and has managed agency and client relationships across digital, radio, newspapers and magazines, the last four years of which have been in the head of agency role across the NZME group.

Previously, she managed the commercial team at APN Digital for a number of years.

Her career highlights include leading and implementing the NZME agency sales integration strategy across print, digital and radio and winning local and international awards for her work, including a first place at the global INMA Awards for ‘Best Marketing Solution for a Client’.

Working with Gurney will be Kelly Tebbutt, newly promoted to TV sales manager.

​Tebutt started at MediaWorks in 2007 and has been in digital sales before.

In two appointments for the ‘Group National Direct’ team under MediaWorks head of national direct sales Matt Headland, Rogan Polkinghorne has been appointed head of digital ad sales and strategy (direct), and Jackie Campbell has been appointed custom content strategist (direct).

Both will join the team in June. Polkinghorne will be responsible for managing digital ad sales and the strategies behind them for MediaWorks direct clients, focusing on data opportunities, integrated content solutions and programmatic platforms to deliver digital solutions across the MediaWorks network.

Campbell will manage the creation of custom content opportunities for national direct clients, allowing MediaWorks to work with its direct clients in a more content focused way.

Rogan is an experienced media practitioner, with an extensive background in radio and digital sales and strategy. His most recent role at NZME (group account director digital) saw him lead a team working on digital strategy for NZME’s agency client base, as well as helping to lead the commercial side of new product development and overall digital strategy for the group.

Campbell has a career spanning more than 15 years in the New Zealand media market. Her most recent role was group sales and marketing director at Bauer Media, with previous roles including sales director – premium/lifestyle and fashion titles sales manager at ACP Magazines.  With experience across senior advertising sales and marketing positions in magazine publishing and agencies, PR and television. She was awarded the New Zealand Magazine Publishing Association ‘Sales Person of the Year’ award in 2005 and 2009.

Further increasing the size and scope of the MediaWorks ‘Group National Direct’ team, three new commercial managers have also been appointed to work alongside Polkinghorne and Campbell.

They are: Freddie Leckie (ex Mediacom), Andrew Horan (ex NZME) and Kate Dinwiddie from MediaWorks Integration. 

MediaWorks head of national direct sales Matt Headland said: “The new commercial managers and other new members of the team will allow us to drive national opportunities across the country and provide all our direct clients with market leading thinking that is focused on audience and engagement.”

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