Marketing and media chief Mark Buckman quits Telstra
Buckman
Telstra’s head of marketing and media Mark Buckman has quit the telco just five months after taking the expanded role.
Buckman, one of the most high-profile marketers in Australia, told Mumbrella it was a tough decision “but the right one” to leave the role, but said he is heading back to the UK for “family reasons”.
He said: “On a family level it was the right decision. Whenever you are making decisions based on your family it is the right decision.
“I have enjoyed my time enormously at Telstra, we had some tremendous success and the people I have worked with have been amazing.”
Buckman declined to discuss the details behind his departure – other than to say it was for family reasons – or whether he had any work lined up in the UK.
He said he was committed to ensuring a “smooth transition” with his successor but refused to be drawn on when he was likely to leave.
Telstra confirmed that Buckman’s role will be split in two with a recruitment process already underway for a head of marketing and head of media.
The 49-year-old executive moved client-side after rising to be Asia Pacific head of McCann Worldgroup in 2006 when he joined as chief marketing officer of Commonwealth Bank, before moving to Telstra in 2011.
Telstra Retail group executive Gordon Ballantyne praised Buckman for his “outstanding contribution” to the company.
“Since joining Telstra as the chief marketing officer in 2011, Mark has played a pivotal role in helping to transform the company into a vibrant and engaging brand and an organisation with innovative and creative content for the customer,” he said in a statement.
“Mark has left a wonderful legacy at Telstra, and this extends to the extremely capable and talented teams he has led.
“We are working with Mark on a smooth transition over the coming months.”
Buckman joined Telstra in 2011 as chief marketing officer before being appointed head of digital media and IPTV in 2013 addition to his CMO role.
He oversaw the launch of T-Media, the new online home for Telstra’s premium content partner brands in news, sport and lifestyle and increased growth in Telstra’s IPTV in Australian homes.
In March Buckman became group managing director, media and marketing, taking responsibility for all of Telstra’s brand and digital media activities.
I always think ‘bullshit’ when I hear “family reasons”. So unoriginal.
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Great marketer, shame to lose him O/S.
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Did an amazing job with Telstra’s refresh and CBA’s Determined to Different…………..was “different”
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Mark is a true leader in our industry, and Another Agency is clearly not.
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Another Agency. Perhaps a little less cynicism. “Whenever you are making decisions based on your family it is the right decision’
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Telstra cronies come to the rescue.
Smells like a rat.
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A real loss to the Australian marketing landscape. Mark has led from the front, put his money where his mouth is and made some real difference… Bugger!
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Didn’t Mark Collis do the actual rebrand. Credit Where it is due
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Finally ….
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And yes, it was Mark Collis. MB showed up afterwards …
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I totally concur with Sudeep’s comments – Marketers who have the vision and guts to re-shape the landscape and passionately elevate the value creation role of marketing within organisations are all too rare in Australia. Likewise for Mark to keep the interests of his family front and centre, as he successfully tackled super large scale and highly complex CMO roles, is a remarkable feat in itself.
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The moderation of this blog is biased… Critical comments tend to be not published.. Let’s see whether this one makes it …
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Hi Doubter,
If you look around the site you’ll see plenty if critical comments, what we don’t publish is personal and vitriolic attacks.
Hope that clears it up.
Cheers,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella