Trading places: this week's people moves

Advertising

 

John Townshend, the former creative partner of Rapier, the outgoing COI chief Mark Lund, and strategist Kate Waters, have founded a communications agency called Now. Now opens its doors for business this week from offices in London’s Fitzrovia. (Campaign)  

Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has hired Tom Johnstone, the former head of planning at DLKW, and Raquel Chicorel from Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Johnstone takes up the role of global planning director on BlackBerry. Chicorel joins as planning director. (Campaign)  

Marketing

 

Toyota has abolished the role of UK marketing director, following a review of its management structure. Marketing director John Thomson will take on a "new assignment" within the Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. (Marketing)  

Simon Freedman has left his role as head of sponsorship at O2 after less than a year, to take up an executive sports marketing role at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). (Marketing)  

Virgin Media has recruited Jamie Heywood as its director of mobile, replacing Jonathan Kini, who has been made director of customer services. Heywood will report to Graeme Oxby, executive director of mobile and home phone at Virgin Media. (Marketing)  

Media

 

MediaCom has appointed Josh Krichefski as its chief operations officer for EMEA, a role previously held by the MediaCom UK chief executive, Karen Blackett. Krichefski, currently the global director of client development at Havas Digital, is set to join MediaCom in June. (Campaign)

MPG Media Contacts has made two new hires to its strategy team. Simon Bielby, previously client planning director at Mindshare, and Eva Powell, previously strategy director at Vizeum, have been hired as new strategy directors. They will report to Martyn Stokes, who has been promoted to head of communications strategy. (Media Week)  

Jamie Pearson, business director at Starcom MediaVest's, is leaving the Publicis Groupe agency after 15 years. He is understood to be leaving without a job to go to. (Media Week)