ICrossing, a Hearst-owned digital marketing agency, has appointed Guy Phillipson as the new UK chairman, just days after announcing a departure date from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB UK).
Formerly chief executive of the online advertising industry’s leading trade body in the UK, Phillipson will start his new role on a part-time basis on February 1, where he plans to apply his 12 years’ experience in monitoring the industry to help steer the marketing agency’s strategy.
Commenting on his appointment, Phillipson said it was an exciting time to join and take part in strengthening the agency’s brand; “Over the last decade, I’ve enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of the UK’s maturing digital media marketplace and I know progressive clients are demanding the integrated services iCrossing delivers so well,” he said.
‘Industry giant’
ICrossing’s UK CEO Mark Iremonger called the appointment “great news” for the agency, and lauded Phillipson as an “industry giant”, owed to his influential position as the key mouthpiece for industry regulation throughout the last decade.
“Our ambition is to become the marketing agency for a modern world and I’m confident that Guy’s deep digital marketing expertise and extensive industry relationships will help us achieve this vision. It’s going to be a great year,” he concluded.
The agency’s global CEO, Nick Brien, who Phillipson will report to, believes the new chairman’s experience and expertise as ‘the veteran’ of the UK advertising industry’ make him a well-equipped addition to the leadership team.
“Guy’s a proven driver of marketing transformation, whether through the lens of digital media or technology innovation whilst providing vital strategic thinking for transforming brand marketing across all industry sectors,” he commented.
The IAB UK announced Phillipson’s successor as its former chief operating officer, Jon Mew, taking over from Guy Phillipson later this month.