Press Releases New senior appointments in BBC Marketing, Communications and Audiences

Category: BBC
Date: 04.10.2006
Printable version

Tim Davie, the BBC's Director of Marketing, Communications and Audiences (MC&A), has announced two senior appointments within the division.

Helen Kellie, currently Head of Brand and Planning, will be Head of Marketing, Communications and Audiences in the newly created BBC Vision.

She replaces Vanda Rumney, who has decided not to return to a full-time role following adoption leave. Helen will lead a team of 108 professional marketing and communications staff responsible for the marketing and promotion of programmes, content and services produced by the BBC Vision group.

Jacky Brandreth, currently Head of Marketing, Communications and Audiences for BBC Nations and Regions, and Head of Change for MC&A, has been appointed Head of Brand and Planning.

Jacky will be responsible for BBC branding strategy, prioritisation of MC&A resources, media planning and audience services.

This includes leading the current advertising agency roster review process.

Helen and Jacky will take up their roles shortly.

Guy North, who has been acting Head of Marketing, Communications and Audiences for the last six months, will return to focus on his permanent role as Head of TV Brand and Portfolio Marketing, BBC Vision.

Vanda Rumney takes up the role of Head of Change and will be responsible for leading all elements of change across MC&A, including organisational development, training and realising the vision of MC&A being at the heart of the BBC.

Announcing the appointments, Tim Davie said: "These are significant appointments as we seek to transform the BBC's relationship with our audiences towards an on-demand world.

"Helen, Jacky and Vanda are professionals with wide experience and a terrific understanding of the future challenges facing the BBC."

Helen Kellie joined the BBC in 2000 as Head of Marketing Strategy in Marketing, Communications and Audiences, where she led the initiation of the formal prioritisation of support for content and services across the BBC, and led on BBC brand and branding.

She also initiated the successful BBC audience planning team, which works with programme makers on the development of programme ideas.

She was previously a marketeer at Reckitt Benckiser, working on a range of personal care and household brands in the UK, New York and Paris, latterly as Euro Category Director.

Jacky Brandreth joined the BBC in 1998 from Coca-Cola to be Head of Marketing Strategy.

She has since held a number of senior BBC roles, including Head of Marketing, Genre Brands (News, Sport, New Media and Factual programmes), Marketing Director, BBC World and her current role as Head of Marketing, Communications and Audiences, BBC Nations and Regions.

She has most recently overseen the reorganisation of the BBC's Marketing, Communications and Audiences division.

Guy North has most recently been acting Head of Marketing, Communications and Audiences for BBC Television.

In his role as Head of TV Brand and Portfolio Marketing, he has responsibility for the strategic development and marketing of all the BBC's portfolio of TV channels.

He joined the BBC in 1999 from Bass Brewers to lead the marketing for the BBC's digital channels and has since worked on BBC Sport, BBC News and bbc.co.uk.

BBC Vision

The creation of BBC Vision under Jana Bennett's leadership was announced on 19 July 2006 as part of Director-General Mark Thompson's plans to deliver the BBC's creative vision as outlined in Creative Future.

The group will comprise more than 5,000 people and brings together three of the BBC's existing divisions - Television; Drama, Entertainment and Children's and Factual and Learning.

The creation of BBC Vision will help the BBC deliver 360 degree content creation (creating and commissioning content for all the different ways of delivering it to the audience, including via the Internet) and help to prepare to meet the audiences' requirements in an increasingly on demand world.

The commissioning system is designed to bring the best ideas to the screen, including the best of independent production, backed by the new Window of Creative Competition.

BBC Press Office