ZigZag Global, a provider of technology-driven retail returns solutions, is bolstering its leadership team by appointing Lee Barwin as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Barwin brings over twenty years of experience in Retail and Consumer Goods, with a strong focus on leveraging technology and data to drive innovation and improve the customer experience. Barwin’s career includes tenures at major B2B technology and data companies such as Trax and Kantar, where he held various marketing leadership roles. During this time, he successfully launched new technology solutions across EMEA and the Americas while leading demand generation teams. Prior to that, Barwin spent a decade in Marketing and Sales roles on Mars and Pepsi brands, gaining experience in driving successful retail strategies.
SmartSearch, a UK provider of digital compliance solutions, has appointed Ian Wright as its new strategic alliances manager. In his role, Wright will look to expand SmartSearch’s successful partnership offering across both domestic and international markets. He will work closely with platforms, software systems and consultancies across a variety of sectors to integrate SmartSearch’s unrivalled anti-money laundering (AML) data and intelligence. Wright brings with him more than two decades of experience across compliance, platforms and the wider business information sector, including 14 years with international platform provider Creditsafe. Prior to joining SmartSearch, he also held senior roles with AML providers and data and analytics firms.
AMA, a specialist in Dynamic Creative for audio, has announced the appointment of Faye Leneghan as Creative Strategy Lead to drive the company’s UK creative and strategic output. In her new role, Leneghan will be the creative and strategic counterpart to the commercial team. As the team’s strategist, she’ll identify trends, insights and opportunities, working with both commercial and creative teams to pitch the best creative solutions to AMA’s clients. She will also work alongside the sales team to identify opportunities to grow AMA’s strategic partner accounts. Leneghan joins from Vox Media where she worked as a Strategist in the Integrated Marketing team, taking ownership of the revenue-driving strategy for UK and Global RFPs. Prior to that, she was Marketing Executive at Global Media and Entertainment where she launched and promoted new brand extensions, white-label partnerships and products across various forms of media.
A specialist search agency has welcomed a new senior staff member, to transform the offering of the paid department. Joining The Audit Lab, based on Spa Road in Bolton, is Joe Eaton, veteran of paid marketing as the agency’s new head of paid search. Eaton heads back to agency side after the best part of a decade working for some major UK brands, including Boohoo, Pets at Home, Fanatics (NBA/NFL) and most recently, We Buy Any Car. He brings with him a range of experience across the entire spectrum of performance marketing channels, from paid social and affiliates, to display and CRM.
Good-Loop, a purpose-led ad platform on a mission to make advertising better for consumers, brands and the planet, has announced that Will Luttrell, CTO of The Brandtech Group, has joined the company as a non-executive director. Luttrell, an advocate and pioneer for transparency and brand safety within the ad tech sector, will play an active role in the Good-Loop board, where his proven track record of innovation in the digital ad ecosystem will be crucial in the development and expansion of the company’s industry-leading ad tech solutions, including its Green Media technology. Before joining The Brandtech Group as CTO, Luttrell co-founded digital ad verification company Integral Ad Science, where he created a platform that ensures advertisers are running brand-suitable, viewable, fraud-free environments. He was also the founder and CEO of Amino Payments (acquired), which used distributed ledger technology to illuminate media supply chains. In addition, Luttrell has been granted multiple patents in the field of advertising technology (“ad tech”) and has founded, advised, or otherwise made significant early contributions to several other successful early-stage companies.
HubSpot, the customer relationship management (CRM) platform for scaling companies, has announced that Mark Barry has joined the business as Vice President of Sales & Managing Director for the EMEA region. In his new role, Barry will spearhead the company’s growth initiatives, working closely with HubSpot’s EMEA leadership in marketing, sales, and services. He will also take charge of leading HubSpot’s Sales organisation in the region, playing a pivotal role in empowering thousands of organisations across Europe, Middle East, and Africa to achieve exceptional growth. Barry brings over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing and leadership to HubSpot. He joins the company from Stripe where he spent the last seven years heading up various functions in sales and strategy across EMEA. Prior to that he was at Google.
WithYouWithMe, the social impact firm whose data-led talent management platform is helping businesses tackle the increasing digital skills gap, has appointed a new UK VP as it sets its sights on ambitious growth plans in the region this year and beyond. James McLaughlin, formerly Director of Business Development at tech-for-good firm Board Intelligence, where he spent nearly four years, brings with him more than ten years of experience in sales and business development in the B2B technology space. McLaughlin will be responsible for heading up WithYouWithMe’s UK operation from its London HQ and delivering on its strategic objectives for growth and business development.
M&C Saatchi Performance, a global performance marketing agency, has announced the promotion of Kabeer Chaudhary, currently the Managing Director for APAC, to the role of Global Chief Executive Officer. Chaudhary takes over the reins from James Hilton, the CEO and Founder of M&C Saatchi Performance, who will continue his role as Chairman. Chaudhary has been with M&C Saatchi Performance since 2015 and has served in the role of Managing Director APAC for the past two years. Under his guidance, the agency has strengthened its positioning in the region onboarding clients across different verticals. In his new remit, he will continue to be based out of Singapore and will be responsible for managing the agency’s operations across APAC, Middle East, Europe and US working closely with the global leadership and the country heads to evolve the agency’s global proposition. Chaudhary will report to James Hilton and will continue to manage APAC operations until a replacement has been appointed.
Bulla Co, an early-stage Gen Z influencer agency who have recently closed their six-figure pre-seed round, has appointed Justin Cooke as the company’s new Chairman. Cooke is a highly esteemed marketing and technology industry entrepreneur, investor and leader, ranked by Business Insider as one of the “coolest tech investors in the UK”. As an advisor, investor and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in media, marketing and tech Justin has a proven track record of scaling-up businesses, he successfully founded the global digital agency, Fortune Cookie, which he grew to 250 people and $30 million in revenue before selling to WPP in 2012. Previously on the board of FutureLearn, the digital learning company from Open University, he is the former Vice Chair of Unicef UK, former Chair of The Drum, and former Chair of the British Interactive Media Association, and the British Museum’s Digital Advisory Board.
