ITV poised to hire advertising stalwart as commercial chief

by Jeremy Lee, Marketing 12-Sep-07

ITV is set to appoint veteran ad man Rupert Howell to lead its sales and marketing.

The broadcaster, which has been without a sales chief since commercial
director Ian McCulloch left in May, is understood to have first
approached Howell when he left his job as regional director and

president of McCann Erickson Group in April, and for a second time in

August.

Howell has met with ITV executive chairman Michael Grade once and other
senior ITV management at least twice, according to insiders. He has
previously expressed an interest in working at the broadcaster -
Marketing revealed last autumn that he was considering throwing his hat
into the ring to replace outgoing chief executive Charles Allen
(Marketing, 6 September 2006).

It is thought that the role he will be offered is managing director of
ITV's sales and marketing, not the commercial director position that his
predecessor occupied. This would put him on a similar management level
to Dawn Airey, director of global content, who has been mooted as a
possible replacement for Grade, who plans to stand down by 2010.

As well as managing the broadcaster's airtime and commercial sales
opportunities, Howell will oversee the ITV brand and its digital and
online strategy.

ITV refused to confirm details of the appointment.

CAREER HISTORY

1979: Joins Ogilvy Group

1983: Joins Young & Rubicam as account director, and rises to

new-business director

1987: Launches HHCL & Ptnrs

1997: Sells HHCL & Ptnrs to Chime Communications

1998: Joins Chime as chief executive

2002: Quits Chime and tries, then fails, to launch consultancy the

Growth Organisation

2003: Joins McCann Erickson as president and regional director, EMEA

2007: Quits McCann Erickson.