ISBA: Steve Chester appointed director of media as Mark Finney departs

ISBA, the body representing UK advertisers, has announced the appointment of Steve Chester as its new director of media and advertising following the surprise departure of Mark Finney after just 17 months.

Chester, who comes from the IAB where he was director of industry programmes and data, will have a remit to cover digital and offline media, as well as data. A well known face in the industry, he has also worked for Microsoft and as a consultant at the AOP and ISBA.

Finney, who only took up the role in April 2016 and served the body as it underwent a transformation at time of major industry disruption, will be stepping down to pursue other interests. By comparison, Finney’s predecessor, Bob Wootton, held the role for more than twenty years.

Chester’s appointment is the second major hire Phil Smith has made since he was named as director general in November 2016. In July he appointed Abi Slater as director of communications. Slater was previously communications director at Daily Mail publisher DMGT.

“I’m delighted to welcome Steve to the ISBA team,” Smith said. “His digital credentials and industry experience make him uniquely qualified to lead in the rapidly changing media environment.

“A big thank you is also due to Mark Finney, who has made a real impact on ISBA. We wish him every success in the future.”