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Movings/Shakings: 25 October

Rayner’s new reign

Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand has announced the
appointment of Wendy Rayner to the newly created position of general manager of marketing. 

She joins the FMCG business after nine years at New Zealand
Lotteries, most recently as head of marketing and member of the executive team. Prior to that she held the role of TVNZ’s brand communications manager.

“I’m delighted with the opportunity to work with such ultimate consumer brands and I’m looking forward to enhancing their connection with New Zealanders.”

Whilst at New Zealand Lotteries she implemented the Lucky
Dog campaign and was also awarded the prestigious title of NZ Marketer of the year and is
currently deputy chair of the NZ Marketing Association.

She has completed a Harvard Business School Programme for
Leadership Development.

Rayner assumes her role on 12 November. 

Laws unto himself 

As widely speculated, RadioLIVE host Michael Laws is leaving the channel to pursue “something new, something exciting and something that I’ve always wanted to do.” His final show will be on 31 March 2013 and he will be replaced by Sean Plunket. 

Laws was part of the original RadioLIVE team that began broadcasting in 2005. 

“I have enjoyed my time with RadioLIVE but I don’t want to be a talkback host forever,”he says. “I have at least 15 years of working life left and this is the perfect time to make the transition. I am really looking forward to my new career. My life will also be a lot less public and a lot more family-oriented and that is long overdue as well …  It’s been a pleasure and a privilege working with the personalities at RadioLIVE and talking to so many wonderful folk on a daily basis. I loved the imperative to inform, entertain and provoke. I look forward to the station moving onward and upward and can’t wait for the reunion.” 

RadioLIVE’s general manager, Jana Rangooni says: “We thank Michael for all he has done at RadioLIVE. He is a passionate, talented broadcaster and whether you agree or disagree with what he has to say, you can’t dispute Michael’s legacy as one of the great characters of New Zealand radio.”

Making a deposit

DDB New Zealand has announced the appointment of Victoria Graves as group business director on the Westpac account. She joins from ’99 where she was GAD on the Westpac business since 2010. Previous roles have included a year at TBWA and three years at Harvey|Cameron.

“Her wealth of experience, broad skill-set and dynamic approach to banking will be a huge asset to our team,” says DDB’s managing director Justin Mowday. 

Westpac New Zealand appointed DDB Group as its sole creative advertising agency in May this year and DDB’s first campaign for the red bank is imminent.

Non-weekly 

She was there to celebrate the 80th birthday recently, but New Zealand Woman’s Weekly editor Sarah Stuart won’t be there for the next one as she is leaving the magazine at the end of the year to become an independent media consultant, working across a range of APN business pillars, including NZ Magazines. 

She was brought on board as editor when Sido Kitchin and Fiona Fraser upped sticks and went to Woman’s Day and in her two year stint, a release says “the Weekly has undergone extensive improvements to the content and design of the magazine. This culminated in the 80th anniversary this year, which saw a series of successful initiatives led by Stuart.”

She has also been at the vanguard of the title’s digital development. Unique visitor numbers rose to 125,000 a month last month, making it the most successful general women’s site in New Zealand.

“It has been an absolute joy and privilege to work for such a loved and historic title as the Weekly, connecting with 800,000 Kiwi women each week and leading a talented and committed team,” she says. “It is a hugely successful, trusted brand and I am happy to be leaving it in such good health.”

Louise Wright, current editor of New Idea magazine (also within the NZ Magazines stable), has been appointed as the new editor and will take up the reins from next year. 

During her current editorship she has grown circulation share in a historically tough market and seen subscriber numbers rise to an alltime high, up 60 percent in the past 12 months.

“Having grown up reading the Weekly, I’m hugely excited at the opportunity to lead one of the country’s mostloved magazines, and its digital properties, and to drive its evolution and growth into the next phase. I’ve loved my time at New Idea and been privileged to work with an outstanding team. I’m looking forward to helping the new editor of this title continue to build on this success.”

Recruitment for the new editor of New Idea is under way. And it was announced today that Peta Mathias would no longer be writing for the magazine from 19 November. 

News on the news  

According to a Kiwiblog story, Sunday Star-Times editor David Kemeys has been made redundant, with the new role of chief editor for Fairfax in charge of the Sunday Star-Times and all online media, set to be created next month. 

We asked Fairfax Media’s comms manager Nicola Igusa for a comment on this and also whether group marketing manager Sandra King, who’s currently on extended leave, will be back. 

We don’t have any comment about either question, I’m afraid,” she says. 

On the road again

ACP Magazines has appointed Andrew Chesterton as editor of Top Gear NZ, replacing founding editor Cameron Officer, who departed recently after seven years at the helm. 

“Andrew lives and breathes Top Gear,” says publisher Fiona Lyon. “His talent will be a great asset to the magazine and will cement Top Gear NZ’s position as the motoring authority in New Zealand … Cam has done a great job and has been instrumental in the title’s success in New Zealand. We wish him all the best with his new endeavours.” 

Chesterton joined the team in 2008 as the brand’s online editor, before moving into a production and deputy editor role at Top Gear Australia. He will work mostly out of the Top Gear Australian office and he starts his new role with immediate effect. 

Top Gear NZ has ingrained itself in the lives of its readers and I look forward to ensuring that the next 80 issues will be just as exciting, informative and addictive as the past 80,” says Chesterton. “Readers will get the same mix of supercar magic, world-class photography and cracking stories they’re used to, not to mention their monthly dose of Clarkson, Hammond and May. With Top Gear about to once again explode on to our televisions, it’ll be a massive year for the magazine. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Damien O’Carroll has also been appointed Top Gear NZ features writer. He has over six years experience in the motor industry working across various motoring titles as well as being vice president of the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild. He will be based in New Zealand. 

Top Gear NZ has a monthly circulation of over 10,000 in New Zealand and the show is viewed in 244 territories around the world. It was recently named the world’s most widely watched factual TV programme by the Guinness World Records. And the new series returns to Prime in the New Year.

Sweet nectar

Craig Cotton has been appointed as chief executive of Charlie’s Trading Company, replacing outgoing founder and chief executive Stefan Lepionka, who left after bedding-in the company’s transition to Asahi ownership.

Cotton (38) joins Charlie’s from a 17-year career with Coca-Cola Amatil NZ, most recently as national sales manager, non-grocery. He has a strong track record in sales and marketing and is renowned for being a strong leader who is consumer and customer focused and big on excellence in execution of brands in the marketplace.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining Charlie’s,” Cotton says. “Our beverage brands are recognised and enjoyed by consumers and there is great opportunity for growth through innovation and market expansion. Not many New Zealand companies enjoy the opportunities we do. We have local and offshore manufacturing facilities, the best brands in our categories and are now owned by Asahi who are keen to invest for growth. We will continue to keep the business deeply rooted in its ‘Kiwi-ness’. Charlie’s was born in New Zealand and is managed and run from here. That is important to us and we will not be turning our backs on our heritage.” 

Big ideas

Ideas Shop has appointed Marjory Embleton as general manager, a new role for the expanding communications company.

She has an extensive background in high-level management consulting specialising in organisational change.

Most recently a senior consultant with Martin Jenkins, she has held senior advisory and team leadership roles with a range of organisations from Telstra Clear through to National Bank. 

As an independent consultant, Embleton has specialised in mentoring senior executives in transformational leadership and strategy.

She has an MBA from the George Washington University School of Business and a BA in Political Studies.

Das is gut

Alt Group has been honoured with one of Germany’s highest distinctions in the field of design with a German Design Award. 

The German Design Award is the German Design Council’s premium international prize – presented as ten awards in nine categories, from among a total of 1,500 German and international entries. All entries are by invitation only to projects that have been previously recognised in other major design awards.

Alt Group was named as a winner in the audiovisual, digital and interactive media category, for its website design for architectural practice, Warren and Mahoney. Other winners in this category include Daimler, Porsche and Deutsche Telekom AG. It is the first time a New Zealand design company has been recognised with this award.

In re-imagining the site, Alt Group created an interactive grid design to balance the portfolio of projects with team profiles and perspectives. This grid elegantly fronts an easily searchable history of projects, with enough depth to convey the context for each building and the team behind it.

“This is an important award, putting New Zealand design amongst the best in the world,” says Alt Group managing director Ben Corban. “We set out to create a benchmark site for Warren and Mahoney and it’s great it has been recognised in the company of global design leaders.”

Falconer’s crest 

Mi9,
the re-branded trade division of MSN New Zealand, has promoted Danielle
Falconer to the newly created position of sales manager MSN New Zealand. Her
promotion from MSN senior account manager follows the recent appointment of New
Zealand commercial director Dan Robertson, and puts her at the helm of Mi9’s
premium advertising and content integration team for portal MSN.co.nz, Windows
Live Messenger, Hotmail and Skype.

Before
joining MSN, Falconer was agency account manager at Yellow, where she managed
agency sales for both digital and print channels. 

Dream host

Simon Barnett is to host the Canterbury-focused season of Mitre 10 Dream Home, which is returning to TV2 in 2013.

“The fact that Mitre 10 and TVNZ have chosen to give away a home to a Canterbury family who has experienced such an emotional upheaval only added to my desire to be involved. This particular season will not only be about building with bricks and mortar but building into the lives of a family that has suffered a huge emotional toll in the past 24 months. I am enormously excited about being involved as this series will tell a story of rebuilding – not just building a house but a home, and all that encompasses.” 

A final six Cantabrian families have been selected and for the first time, New Zealand can vote for the family they think most deserves a shot at creating and winning their dream home.

The final six families in the running for Mitre 10 Dream Home are:

  • The Fail/Blair family: Amanda Fail (31) is a hairdresser and Jay Blair (29) is a fabric layer and cutter for a clothing company. The de facto pair has been together for two and a half years and have three children from Amanda’s previous marriage.
  • The Giles family: Martyn Giles (43) is a sign writer and Sarah Giles (35) is a stay-at-home mum. They are married, have been together for 18 years and have two biological kids and four foster children between them. Sarah home-schools all six children.
  • The McManus/Clarkson family: Manu Clarkson (33) is a fire-fighter and Danielle McManus (27) is a full-time mum. They have been together 10 years, are currently engaged and have three children.
  • The Murphy family: Jarrad Murphy (28) is a sales manager and Casey Murphy (24) works in admin part-time. They have been together for five and a half years and have two young children. They got married at the beginning of this year.
  • The Vercoe family: Damian Vercoe (30) is a brand manager and Crystal Vercoe (29) is a work-at-home mum with a hobby business. They are married, have been together 10 years and have two young children.
  • The Wilson family: Riki Wilson (25) is a labourer and Whitney Wilson (24) works in data entry. They are married, have been together for four and a half year and have two young boys.

Voting is now open and can be completed via TVNZ’s website and it closes 9 November. 

Public vote will determine the first family through and the second will be selected by a judging panel. The final two will be revealed when Mitre 10 Dream Home returns to TV2 in 2013.

Bowden bows in 

Dominic Bowden is to host the first local version of The X Factor NZ, which is coming to TV3 in 2013.

Bowden has been at the forefront of television in New Zealand for the past decade, becoming a household name when he hosted NZ Idol.  He went on to be the first Kiwi to host a live primetime network show on American television, The Next Great American Band, and is currently working in Los Angeles with The X Factor USA. 

With a music television CV that goes back to co-hosting cult late night music show Space, Bowden says he is extremely proud to be the host of the first Kiwi series of The X Factor.

“I’m so excited to come home and work with the team of talented people that is being put together in New Zealand,” he says. “I’ve had the chance to work in many different environments here in the US, but making The X Factor back home, helping celebrate our talent, and telling their great stories will be fantastic. The goal of everyone working on the show is to find a genuine superstar, and I just can’t wait to get started … Kiwi music is exploding internationally, the world is getting smaller and all it takes is the right opportunity for your talent to be seen on the global stage; The X Factor NZ offers that opportunity.”

 The X Factor is a FremantleMedia owned format and will be co-produced by MediaWorks and FremantleMedia Australia. NZ on Air will be a minority funder in the programme.

The X Factor NZ will be the biggest show TV3 has ever made, and to host we needed the best in the business,” says co-executive producer Andrew Szusterman. “There’s no one better for this job than Dominic, and it is a coup to bring him back to New Zealand and to TV3. His experience in the US will definitely add to what we’re going to achieve down here.”

Created by music mogul Simon Cowell, The X Factor has launched numerous internationally successful music careers.  The X Factor artists have globally sold over 100 million records, achieving 250 number ones, 270 Top 10, and 501 Top 50 hit records.  

Sup Cuz

Julia Couzins has joined the Datamine team from Grant Thornton’s Business Transformation Team, where she was involved in both project management and business analysis across strategic planning, process improvement and change projects.

“As an Owl, Julia provides perspective and protection to those she takes under her wings, which at Datamine involves translating complex geek-speak into easily understood and actionable insights for clients. Owls are quick-witted and intelligent and Julia is no exception with a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Marketing,” it says in a release.  

“We’re excited about the strong business analysis skills Julia brings to the team having worked with some of New Zealand’s leading companies including Telecom and KiwiBank,” says client services director Sally Carey. 

New sparks

Bright Sparks promotional marketing has added to its team with the appointment of Warren Jones as southern region manager.

Jones, who has been pursuing other opportunities since working in the Bright Sparks Auckland office in 2006, will be taking over all of Bright Sparks’ accounts in Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

We’re proud to have Warren on board and working with our Southern clients,” says director Matt Withers. “I know that he’ll make the most of his experience in both the apparel and promo industry in order to best service businesses in the region.”

Prior to his entry into the promotional industry Jones worked in apparel, running his own business which specialised in labelling and branding for both national and international manufacturers. 

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