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Chantal Walker departs Telstra marketing team as Microsoft’s Inese Kingsmill joins

The sweeping changes at the top of Telstra’s marketing team have continued with the exit of Chantal Walker, the company’s director of brands advertising and digital, Mumbrella can reveal.

It follows last month’s departure of executive director of brand and marketing communications Amanda Johnston-Pell.

The pair’s possible departures have been a matter of speculation since experienced advertising creative Mark Collis was brought in as director of creativity and innovation.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s head of strategy Inese Kingsmill has been brought in as Director of Business Unit Marketing & Communications.  

Johnston-Pell was most closely associated with BWM’s successful “rabbits” ad, although critics of the telco’s advertising work have suggested that the four years that followed did not bring as great a success.

Meanwhile, Walker was behind campaigns including the bickering NextG couple Brad & Emma:

An email to staff from chief marketing officer Kate McKenzie this morning said:

I’m writing to update you on several changes being made to the Chief Marketing Office – involving a departure, an arrival and some changes in reporting lines.

Farewell to Chantal Walker

After more than six years with the company, Chantal Walker has decided to leave Telstra.

Chantal joined us in early 2005 working initially in BigPond before joining Telstra’s Marketing Communications Group in 2008 as Director of Brands Advertising and Digital.

Throughout her career at Telstra, Chantal has demonstrated enormous dedication as she has worked to strengthen Telstra’s connection with our customers. With her passion for achieving results, Chantal has managed and led highly complex and often sensitive projects, and always done so with a pragmatism that has delivered some outstanding outcomes.

Chantal introduced new characters, like Brad and Emma from the Next G campaign and took some existing ones like Ern and Cheryl to a new level to help Australians better understand Telstra’s products and services, and warm up the brand.

Chantal has also driven Telstra’s increased focus on digital advertising, establishing the digital communications team and helping to establish Telstra as a market leader in the use of social media in the promotional mix. This year’s Youth campaign involving “out of the box” channel thinking in terms of how to reach this tough audience was truly ground breaking and moved Telstra into new territory that is proving to be a success.

I have been impressed at Chantal’s willingness to lead the Marketing Communications Group team while Amanda Johnston-Pell has taken maternity leave and I thank Chantal for stepping in to this expanded role.

We will have farewell events in Sydney and Melbourne before Chantal’s departure on 1 October.

Welcome to Inese Kingsmill

Inese Kingsmill will be joining the CMO on 8 November as Director of Business Unit Marketing & Communications.

Inese will be joining us from Microsoft where she is Director of Strategy, Marketing and Programs. Inese has enjoyed a long career with Microsoft having initially joined Microsoft in August, 1994 as Customer Loyalty and Direct Marketing Manager and then having held a variety of Australian and regional roles within the Marketing Organisation. Inese has also worked in Advertising and Direct Marketing Agencies and the PC industry.

More information on Inese can be found on the CMO intranet. Jodie Rochetich will act in Chantal’s role between 1 October and 8 November.

Changes to reporting lines

Chantal’s departure has prompted a review of how we structure this part of the business and I am pleased to announce some small changes. From 1 October:

  • The Media & Agency Services Management team, led by John Turner, will be expanded to include the Awards team led by Marnie McKew and the MCG Finance team lead by John Kennedy
  • The Sponsorship, Reputation & PR team, led by Richard Howarth, will report to me
  • The Brand Strategy, Creativity and Innovation team, led by Mark Collis, remains unchanged
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