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Movings/Shakings: 7 June

Maggie Christie integrates herself into Clems, Stefan Lepionka steps down as head juicer at Charlie’s, Heartland agency upgrades its Tracta, Newstalk ZB wins gold in New York, 8com cuts the ribbon at new Auckland office, Craig Franklin swaps Oz for New Zealand, and Tony Bozzard joins KMS Data. 

Sweet Mags

Colenso BBDO and Aim Proximity have appointed Maggie Christie to the role of director of integration across both agencies.

As well as ensuring they continue to provide the highest level of integrated communications for their clients, Christie will also be responsible for managing and building the direct marketing (direct, CRM, data) resources, including overall responsibility for Aim Proximity-only clients.

“With technology changing the way we communicate, we need to refine what we are able to provide, not only for our clients but also for their customers. This role ensures we link multiple channels together and maximise our marketing efforts, which will equal greater results.”

Christie has worked on both the client and agency side of the business in Europe, North America and New Zealand. Her experience spans financial services (Lloyds Insurance, UDC Finance), telecommunications (Telecom and Vodafone), utilities (Contact Energy), loyalty programmes (Loyalty New Zealand – Fly Buys) and many other industries (Yellow, SkyCity).

“Maggie is a perfect fit for Colenso and Proximity,”  says Jim Moser, Clemenger Group New Zealand chief executive. “She is highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of direct and a strong believer in and supporter of the highly integrated model of Colenso BBDO and Aim Proximity.  She will be an excellent cultural fit for our staff and our clients.”

Managing director Nick Garrett says she has already made a big difference internally and externally in the two months she has been in the new role.

“If success is defined by finding an unfair percentage of the talented and nice people then Maggie’s addition to the team puts us in good stead.”

Off the juice

Charlie’s chief executive Stefan Lepionka has decided to change his focus at the end of July and will step down as chief executive, but he will continue to guide the strategic direction of the business as a member of the board.

At the same time, Lepionka wants to add his skills to a broader range of businesses in New Zealand in governance and mentoring roles. He is also keen to participate in new ventures that can benefit from the strategic and entrepreneurial skills he has brought to Charlie’s.

He co-founded Charlie’s with Marc Ellis and Simon Neal in 1999, following on from his first juice brand Stefan’s, which was purchased by Frucor. In 2007, Charlie’s expanded with the acquisition of the New Zealand-based Phoenix Organic drinks company and last year Charlie’s was acquired by a subsidiary of Japanese Brewer, Asahi, and is now part of the Schweppes group.

“My view is that boards are dynamic places and I am looking forward to shifting into a stronger strategic and less operational role,” Lepionka says. “The spirit of entrepreneurship is in my blood and it’s an attitude to business I am also keen to take to boardrooms in the wider commercial sector. I have also very much enjoyed my recent mentoring roles through ASB Bank and would like to extend that in to opportunities where I can get involved at a directional level with New Zealand entrepreneurs.”

Chairman of Charlie’s David Beguely publicly acknowledged “the great work that Stefan has done in strategically and operationally growing Charlie’s to the success it is today”.

“We are all very pleased that Stefan remains committed to the group as a valuable member of the governance team,” he says. “Stefan’s knowledge and understanding of the beverage industry is unparalleled in New Zealand and his passion for the company and its products is unrivalled.  I look forward to continuing to work with him as we drive for strong growth of our brands in New Zealand, Australia and beyond.”

The change takes effect from July 31 and Charlie’s has commenced its search for a new chief executive.

A bigger Tracta

After more than two decades as Gisborne’s leading design and digital agency, Flavour, a specialist agency focusing on the food and beverage sector for the likes of Rush Munro’s, Wakatu Incorporation, Tasti Products and Weight Watchers Australasia, has shacked up with the Tracta team in Napier.

“Doing business from Gisborne is logistically difficult, hence the move to Napier,” says Tracta managing director Andy Walker. “Coupled with the range of services offered by Tracta, this provides a springboard for greater growth. Strategically, the intent is to combine Flavour’s specialty in food and beverage with that of Tracta’s in rural marketing. This closes the loop from ‘pasture to plate’ by offering expertise right across the food chain.”

As a result of the deal, Walker has taken a shareholding in Flavour.

Tracta has also brought in George Williams as a senior art director.

Williams has operated his own design company, Blackdog Design Limited, since 2002 and he, his wife Nicky, their two children and Mambo (the black lab) moved back to Hawke’s Bay from Wellington late last year.

“George is a farmer’s son from Elsthorpe, Central Hawke’s Bay, and has very strong connections within the farming community. He’s a top man with strong empathy with the rural community and from a Heartland fit, we simply couldn’t find a better person,” says Walker. “He’s also a very accomplished designer, a real craftsman.”

Blackdog Design will continue to operate under its brand in servicing its clients, though it will be adding benefit to its own clients through the breadth of services that Tracta brings to the table.

Radio gold

The entries came from 27 countries and Newstalk ZB’s Christchurch Earthquake coverage has won a gold medal in the New York Festivals International Radio Program & Promotion Awards in the Best Coverage of a Breaking News Story category.

“This is yet another acknowledgement that Newstalk ZB’s coverage in the minutes, days and months following the earthquake was as good as it gets,” said general manager of talk Dallas Gurney. “While this award is extremely gratifying, we also recognise the Christchurch earthquake story is far from over. We remain as committed to Christchurch today as we were in February last year.”

The award will be presented in New York on June 18.

8com opens Kiwi doors

 

 

 

 

Last week, production company 8com New Zealand hosted a small gathering to warm their new digs at 13 Sale Street, Freemans Bay.

In attendance were company directors Mike Vanderfield, Josh Frizzell and executive producer Katie Millington, as well as a host of industry folk, friends and family.

8com already has two jobs in the can for Andy Morton out of Sugar and Saatchi & Saatchi Wellington.

Frizzell’s Cardinal Blonde commercial for Swiss agency Wirz Werbung AG launched this week.

Vimeo Video

Franklin on film

Craig Franklin has been named as Val Morgan’s new senior account manager in New Zealand, after Brigette Burton moved to Melbourne to join the team there.

He returns from three-and-a-half years in Melbourne where he worked in senior roles at ACP and Arrow Internet Marketing. Prior to this, he worked at Sky and Prime TV as an account manager in agency sales.

From PMP to KMS 

Tony Bozzard has joined KMS Data as senior account director to further strengthen and develop its data and list service offerings.

KMS Data has built a strong portfolio of data-related solutions and is excited to have him on board to assist in bringing these to market. He will be focusing on business and consumer solutions, including telemarketing, direct mailing lists and email channels, strategic database lead solutions, database enhancement, analytical products and profiling.

Bozzard has over 20 years of data insight and related list experience and comes from PMP, where until recently was group insights manager. Prior to that he was with NZ Post, where he was involved in the creation of strategic data products.

Bozzard can be contacted at [email protected] or 021 621 048

 

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