Yahoo! Restructures Sales Team With Greater Agency Focus
Yahoo! UK and Ireland has restructured its sales division in an attempt to improve relations with media planning and buying agencies.
The move combines two new appointments with a number of promotions and newly created internal roles to strengthen the sales team, which is separated into four divisions under the leadership of sales director, Alison Reay.
The four divisions, designed to improve client relationships, are: agency sales, business development and client sales, sales operations and planning and strategy.
Joanne Kilshaw, who joins from the BBC, has been appointed account manager for agency sales, with responsibility for continuing Yahoo!’s strategy of working more closely with mainstream agencies to secure a greater proportion of offline budgets. Kilshaw has over six years experience in media sales and has worked for The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian.
Business development manager, Laurence Krieger, has been appointed head of the newly created business development and client sales division. He will report to head of sales, Nick Fawbert, and will focus on securing integrated client partnerships and driving advertising sales. Krieger will also work in conjunction with agency sales to promote the benefits of online advertising to specific industry sectors.
Seamus Hunn, previously head of client services, takes over responsibility for UK sales operations. Reporting to Fawbert, his teams will include ad operations and client services, as well as campaign management and delivery.
Teresa Pereira has been promoted to the newly created role of sales planning and trade relations manager, reporting directly to head of planning an strategy, Phil MacAuley. Fiona Khondoker, previously international research and strategy executive at Universal McCann-Eriksson, has also joined the division as strategy planner. She will be responsible for working with the sales team for pitches and will work to develop Yahoo!’s relationship with the mainstream agencies.
Commenting on the restructure, Alison Reay, sales director of Yahoo! UK & Ireland, said: “This growth of the sales team is now essential as online revenue continues to grow and demand increases for creative online branding solutions. The expansion confirms Yahoo!’s commitment to being the leading internet sales company in the UK. We are looking to further grow our online share, encourage offline advertisers onto the internet and deliver an unrivalled customer service.”
She added: “Our recent deals with BT, McDonalds and Nissan have shown that the internet is attracting big traditional advertisers and is establishing itself as a mainstream branding, as well as direct response, medium. This experienced new sales team allows us to further drive sales on the internet and firmly establish online as the sixth medium.”
The latest figures from the Advertising Association show that the internet saw adspend increase by 18.7% year on year during 2002 to £197 million as it lured back major advertisers driven away by the dotcom burst (see Nominal Growth For Advertising Market In 2002).
Yahoo UK & Ireland: 0207 808 4200 www.yahoo.co.uk
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