Scott Gallacher to leave Sky

by Andrew McCormick, Revolution UK 23-Jul-08, 17:12

LONDON - Scott Gallacher, Sky's digital marketing chief and one of the most high profile figures in digital marketing, is leaving the satellite broadcaster.

He is one of three senior digital figures who have resigned from Sky in quick succession. Paul Wright, director of sales at Sky Digital Media, and Tim Satchell, Sky's head of mobile, are the others on their way out.

Gallacher, who ranked 18th in the Revolution Power 50 - the definitive list of the most powerful people in digital in the UK - is set to join an investment company supporting digital start-ups.

At Sky, Gallacher controls one of the biggest online media budgets in the UK and last year led Sky's biggest online investment to date: a £24m drive to promote Sky's TV and internet offering over rival Virgin Media.

Last year Gallacher was behind the appointment of Aegis agency Diffiniti to Sky's £23.5m online media account and hired Unique Digital to work on paid-search. Gallacher has also built a roster of seven digital creative agencies.

Gallacher moved to Sky from WPP agency Ogilvy where he was client services director, having previously cut his teeth in digital at Publicis Groupe's creative digital agency Digitas.

Before leaving Sky in September, Gallacher will hand over to his successor Louise Mullock, who joins from Carphone Warehouse, where she was head of online marketing.

Paul Wright, director of sales at Sky Digital Media, has left the satellite broadcaster and is "seeking new challenges". Wright was responsible for sales across Sky's portfolio and third party sites. His role was reduced to representing third party sites when Giles Ivey, formerly digital commercial director at Times Media, joined in May 2008.

Ivey now reports to his former boss at AOL, Andy Jonesco, managing director for Sky's onlnine business unit. Satchell, who joined Sky when the broadcaster bought 365 Media Group in 2006, has also left.