ITV makes hires for sponsorship team

by Fiona Ramsay Media Week 07-May-08, 07:30

LONDON - ITV has made several appointments to its sponsorship team and is realigning it to cover specific agency groups, rather than working on individual television properties.

ITV has drafted in Jon Smale as head of sponsorship and interactive from its planning team.

Previously planning controller at ITV, he has worked for the broadcaster for 16 years. His appointment follows the departure of Mark Rosenegk in April.

Last month, ITV also lost sponsorship controllers Leigh Alexander and Ella Fletcher to sponsorship specialist SPP, leaving several roles to be filled in the team. In their place, ITV has appointed Kirsten Gillard, a group head in GCap Media's promotional unit, as sponsorship controller. She will work alongside Bhavit Chandrani, formerly of Channel 4, who filled the second vacant sponsorship controller role last month.

Gary Knight, brand partnerships director at ITV, said he was giving Smale the responsibility of refocusing the team on the main agency groups.

He said: "In the past, an agency would talk to five or six people on sponsorship. Now they will be able to talk to us about issues or opport-unities for them.

"Since our other teams are aligned by agency, it makes sense for sponsorship to be aligned by agency too, so that, for instance, you can get a flavour of how GroupM is doing in different areas."

Carat head of sponsorship David Peters said: "ITV had been more property-led, rather than working by agency needs. We hated that, as we didn't get a good rapport with ITV. Now agency groups will have a point of contact."