Media CFO
NZME has appointed David Mackrell as chief financial officer, with Mackrell taking up the role in March.
He will move to the role from his current position as chief financial officer at Heartland Bank. He previously worked at Air New Zealand for 25 years, including a period as deputy chief financial officer.
NZME chief executive Michael Boggs says Mackrell’s experience of working in highly competitive and rapidly changing industries makes him well placed for the role.
“We are pleased to have someone of his calibre, bringing exceptional financial, commercial and operational capability. His capital management, investor relations and broad financial management experience make David a valuable addition to the NZME executive team.”
New year, new CMO
Cigna New Zealand announced last week that Vince Warnock has been appointed the new chief marketing officer, moving into the role from within the company.
Warnock previously worked as digital marketing manager, building Cigna’s digital presence over his three years in the role.
His work for Cigna has been recognised in various accolades, including the 2018 Webaward for Outstanding Achievement in Web Development and the IAC award for Best Insurance Integrated Ad Campaign. Warnock was also recognised as one of the top 50 marketing leaders in the world as a 2018 Fearless50.
Cigna New Zealand chief executive Gail Costa says Warnock is the perfect person to take on the role because of his extensive knowledge of the company and proven track record.
“We are delighted to have someone of his calibre in our leadership team, and his appointment makes for a seamless transition. We are excited to watch Vince take Cigna New Zealand’s presence to new heights, helping to empower our customers to make educated decisions on their insurance needs.”
Warnock says he is excited by the new challenge.
“Cigna is known for leading the way with customer solutions in the digital space, I am looking forward to continuing to disrupt our markets with more market-leading customer solutions.”
Perceptive hire
Customer intelligence agency Perceptive have appointment Peter Thomson as the director of strategy, starting this month.
Thomson joins the team from the online investment platform Snowball Effect, where he was head of marketing since 2016. He has held a mix of in-house marketing and strategy consulting roles in technology, consumer products and financial services businesses in New York, London and New Zealand.
Perceptive chief executive Chris Pescott says Thomson is just the right fit for the team.
“Bringing a wealth of strategic experience, both in New Zealand and internationally, we’re confident that Peter will help steer Perceptive’s strategic thinking in the best possible direction.”
Thomson’s responsibilities include helping clients connect together insights from the separate areas of their business, from net promoter scores, web analytics, transactional data, email marketing and CRM systems.
New Zealand operations appointment
Video creation platform 90 Seconds has appointed Paul Webster as the managing director of 90 Seconds New Zealand, as the cloud video creation platform embraces mobile storytelling.
Webster has more than 20 years experience in the internet industry – most recently he led product marketing for the Asia Pacific brand of Instagram. He was previously country lead for Facebook New Zealand for three years until 2012 and also had a hand in launching Google and YouTube in New Zealand.
Tim Norton, 90 Seconds founder and global chief executive says Webster’s expertise is the perfect fit.
“Paul’s online advertising knowledge and experience working with fast-growing internet companies at an early stage is on point as we invest in people and technology to enable brands and agencies throughout their video production journey.
Webster says he welcomes the new challenge.
“I’m delighted to be back in New Zealand with the original video platform 90 Seconds, which is growing strongly internationally and showcases our country’s leading business and creative efforts on mobile and desktop. 90 Seconds is constantly innovating – we are introducing new tools and partnering closely with Kiwi brands to tell better stories and grow their businesses using video.”
Changes afoot
Boutique Auckland marketing and public relations agency Stan PR is undergoing changes as co-founder Mary Haddock-Staniland stands down as director.
Haddock-Staniland has spent the summer reevaluating her career after being appointed to the role of head of membership services for Diversity Works New Zealand in September 2018.
Stan PR co-founder Miranda Likeman says Haddock-Staniland’s extensive MC and corporate commitments had stretched her thin.
“As Mary’s friend of over 13 years, my number one concern was her well-being.”
Haddock-Staniland will continue to serve as an advisor to Stan PR in an informal capacity. “Her very large network of contacts and strong social media presence has always been of significant value to the company, and it’s great to still be able to tap into those when needed,” Likeman says.
Haddock-Staniland will continue to have Stan PR and Likeman take care of her publicity. In her role at Diversity Works New Zealand, Haddock-Staniland travels throughout New Zealand to work with companies that want assistance in promoting the importance of diversity and inclusion in organisations. She has spent the last 12 years being an advocate in the transgender environment.
