The Outdoor Media Centre (OMC), the trade association for the out-of-home industry, has appointed Mark Craze as its chairman. Craze will replace the current chairman Naren Patel, the CEO of Primesight.
Craze, who will be the first chair to have come from outside of the OOH sector, was most recently CEO of Havas Media Group UK, where he oversaw six marketing services agencies, which employed over 700 people and had billings of over £650 million.
Prior to that, Craze was the CEO of Aegis Media UK, where he had responsibility for ten group agencies, which had over 800 employees and billings of £1.2 billion.
In the autumn he conducted a strategic review of the OMC and how it should operate after the body’s CEO, Mike Baker, announced he was stepping down. Newsline understands that the strategic review and Craze’s appointment were contemplated separately.
The news of the appointment also comes shortly after one of the OMC’s four council members, JCDecaux, severed ties with the organisation.
Craze said that body’s ambition is to now “unleash the full innovative potential” of the OOH sector and work more “harmoniously” with advertisers, agencies and specialists.
“Our single minded goal is to further drive growth and enhance our position as the most innovative, engaging and influential form of advertising,” he said.
Patel added: “When I was appointed chairman I realised that we needed to reinvigorate the OMC and Mark’s experience will be invaluable in helping demonstrate the potential to advertisers, brands and media and creative agencies.
“He has the gravitas, the clout and the contacts to really help raise the OMC to another level.”
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