Vodafone merges sales and marketing roles as CMO departs
Vodafone will merge its sales and marketing leadership roles into a single position – a move that comes as the telco continues to seek a new creative agency following its split with Cummins & Partners in December.
Ben McIntosh to head newly merged Vodafone sales and marketing unit.
The decision by chief marketing officer Loo Fun Chee to return to her family in Malaysia has prompted the restructure, with Vodafone’s director of sales, Ben McIntosh, assuming the newly merged role of consumer business unit director.
McIntosh joined Vodafone on Australia in 2014 as director of sales after a 17-year career at Harvey Norman as GM for technology and entertainment retail.
Vodafone CEO Inaki Berroeta said the decision to merge the roles was designed to capitalise on the way in which Vodafone was operating in Australia, bring marketing and sales under the leadership of a single person.
“This new unit will see sales and marketing activities come under one leader and one team, creating a streamlined structure and simple and seamless end-to-end processes,” Berroeta said.
“This change will set us up for future growth, and build on the momentum we are achieving in the market. The consumer business unit will drive our ambition to deliver the very best product, service and experience for our customers.”
Loo Fun Chee oversaw improvements to Net Promoter scores.
He said the brand had seen improvements in its awareness since Chee took on the leadership role two years ago.
“Amongst the successes under her leadership are the launch of innovative market leading products such as MyMix,” he said.
“We’ve also seen the Vodafone brand strengthen in the Australian market and a dramatic improvement in Net Promoter Score which shows our customers are increasingly happy with their Vodafone experience.”
Chee also focused marketing of the brand heavily on promoting partnerships with companies such as Qantas and Spotify, while also advertising the network’s improved stability at a time when rival Telstra was suffering network interruptions.
The brand is on track to work with its fifth creative agency in just six years.
A spokesperson for Vodafone said that the structural changes to sales and marketing would not have an impact on the pitch process.
Who would want to work with this chaotic organisation?
User ID not verified.
The Voda sales team have always wanted to control marketing ever since they came into the market. Good luck to whichever creative agency takes this on. Hope you’re a quick turnaround, low margin, retail specialist! Interesting to see if it goes in-house.
User ID not verified.
‘The brand is on track to work with its fifth creative agency in just six years.’
User ID not verified.
I’m just going to leave this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hBLYbR3Tn4
Long time contender for the worst client in Australia. Pitching every two minutes, rubbish work and an inferior product.
Could they get worse?
User ID not verified.
Exactly what went through my mind
User ID not verified.
Can’t get the ex-cmo’s name right, guys? Fun Chee?
Give me some more multicultural lamb appreciation ads, please!
User ID not verified.
Last time a Sales & Marketing guy was in charge of Vodafone, was 3’s Nigel Dews. If my memory serves me correctly, Dews was at the helm when #Vodafail took hold.
Given the recovery in Vodafone’s NPS score has taken 5 long years, you’d hope the Vodafone board will ensure the new leader knows a thing or two about the value of brand in sales.
User ID not verified.
Hi ‘Horse horse tiger tiger’,
Apologies for any cultural insensitivities – this error was more of an indication of our rush to get the story out than of any intended disrespect to Loo Fun.
We will be sure to give the multicultural lamb appreciation ads another view for good measure,
Vivienne – Mumbrella
Damn you! Was just posting the same thing.
User ID not verified.
Changing agencies this often means something operational is needing a review, not moving the agency….IMHO…I would have thought.
Why do businesses have to re-pitch to get better work or a better relationship? Amazes me.
Could be a time to do more in-house perhaps?
User ID not verified.
Hi Viv and thanks for your response.
My team gets reprimanded by clients for failure to deliver accurate outcomes constantly, and no excuses are reasonable.
I suggest sucking it up and apologising for your lack of multicultural editorial skills.
Can you please apologise to Loo Fun and not me?
User ID not verified.
We ALL know what “spending more time with the family” means…
User ID not verified.