Ticketing company StubHub has named Olivier Ropars as their new vice president and CMO. Ropars previously was the head of global performance marketing for eBay.

“As a seasoned retail and e-commerce expert, Olivier will be key to building a global marketing engine to power StubHub’s continued growth and reach throughout the world,” said StubHub president Scott Cutler. “With extensive international experience and a proven ability to drive results, Olivier is the perfect fit . . . in our mission to connect fans to inspiring live event experiences across any screen—anytime, anywhere—worldwide.”


Actor George Takei is joining the mobile gaming business as a creative director for Fifth Journey. Takei will help create new content and promote the mobile game based on Kubo and the Two Strings, while also reprising his role from the movie.

Kubo is the story of a young samurai’s magical quest to save his family,” said Takei. “It’s a beautifully crafted film and I’m thrilled to be working with Fifth Journey on the game.”

“George is an amazing storyteller and one of the first in Hollywood to bridge east and west,” said Fifth Journey co-founder Eric Tan. “We couldn’t have asked for a more inspired individual to join our company, and to help bring Kubo’s magic to game audiences on both sides of the Pacific.”


Volkswagen Group of America named Werner Eichhorn as head of sales and marketing in North America. Eichhorn was previously an executive for Volkswagen’s European operations and has worked for the car manufacturer more than 35 years.


Formula One tapped Ellie Norman as head of marketing for the worldwide auto racing company. Norman previously worked at Virgin Media and was responsible for the 9.58 seconds campaign featuring renowned track and field star Usain Bolt.

“Ellie’s appointment represents the latest addition to our expanding management team, aimed at increasing engagement with Formula One fans globally,” said Sean Bratches, Formula One’s  managing director of commercial operations.


Millennium Hotels and Resorts has a new global chief marketing officer in Franck Kermarrec. He will oversee globally integrated marketing and review the brand portfolio. Previously, Kermarrec led commercial strategy for Hertz International.

“We are thrilled to have Franck on board and believe that his extensive knowledge and experience of the travel and hospitality sector will be invaluable in developing the global brand portfolio further” said Clive Harrington, chief commercial officer for Millennium Hotels.


Warner Bros. Records added two former Universal Music executives, Chris Atlas and Mark Flaherty, to its marketing department. Atlas will serve as senior vice president of urban marketing; Flaherty will be senior vice president of marketing at the Warner Music imprint.

“Chris and Mark have a wealth of experience creating bold and original marketing campaigns that excite global audiences and help build long careers for artists,” said Warner Music general manager Larry Mattera. “They are both inspiring leaders who will strengthen our expertise around specific genres of music, at a time when our approach to artist development must be more inventive and fan-focused than ever before.”


BET Networks appointed Michael D. Armstrong to the newly created position of general manager. The television network also promoted Jeanine Liburd to the newly created role of CMO and Donna Blackman to senior vice president of business operations.

“[The] announcement outlines key changes to our operating structure that further solidify our position as a thriving global brand,” said Debra Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks. “Michael exemplifies the values of strong, dynamic leadership—and his vast knowledge of our industry and how our audiences connect with content is unmatched. Known for their passion for our business and their strong experience in the industry, Jeanine and Donna have a proven track record of developing dynamic strategies that have accelerated growth, elevated brand awareness for BET and engaged consumers worldwide. These appointments will strengthen our ability to drive growth in ratings and digital metrics, achieve strategic goals and deliver strong financial performance.”


Digital comics publisher Madefire announced Jon Middleton as their new chief revenue officer. Middleton has held executive roles in the gaming industry for over 20 years. In a corresponding announcement, Madefire announced an initiative to expand its portfolio of content, targeting gaming for its platform.


Katherine Barna, the former head of communications for Tumblr, will now be vice president of communications for Awesomeness. Barna will oversee PR strategy for various branches of the media and entertainment company, including DreamWorks TV and Awesomeness Films.

“Katherine’s success working at Tumblr, a platform beloved by its community and respected in the industry, makes her a great fit for our company as we continue to embrace the global Gen Z audience,” said Awesomeness CMO T.J. Marchetti.


Actor George Takei is joining the mobile gaming business as a creative director for Fifth Journey. Takei will help create new content and promote the mobile game based on Kubo and the Two Strings, while also reprising his role from the film.

“George is an amazing storyteller and one of the first in Hollywood to bridge east and west,” said Fifth Journey co-founder Eric Tan. “We couldn’t have asked for a more inspired individual to join our company, and to help bring Kubo’s magic to game audiences on both sides of the Pacific.”


Julien Noble has been promoted to executive vice president of worldwide digital marketing at 20th Century Fox. Noble previously spent seven years at Walt Disney Studios, climbing his way up to vice president of digital marketing and publicity.


Rob Owen has been named vice president of creative, catalog and marketing for Warner/Chappell Music’s United Kingdom division


Mid-Atlantic food retailer Weis Markets named Ron Bonacci as vice president of marketing and advertising. Previously, Bonacci was senior director of marketing at Texas-based supermarket Lubbock.

“Ron Bonacci has extensive experience in managing cross-functional teams in developing and implementing strategies for customer relationship management, marketing and advertising,” said Weis senior vice president of merchandising Richard Gunn.


Digital comics publisher Madefire announced Jon Middleton as chief revenue officer. Middleton has held executive roles in the gaming industry for over 20 years.

“We’re very excited to have Jon lead the business team here at Madefire,” said Madefire CEO Ben Wolstenholme. “He’s a very senior hire and comes to us with a stellar network and unique experience in building content and technology companies.”


Shinola CMO Bridget Russo is leaving the luxury-goods maker after five years. Russo oversaw the marketing for Shinola as it grew from a Detroit-based watchmaker to a global upscale brand.


(Editor’s Note: This post will be updated daily until Friday, July 7. Have a new hire tip? Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.)

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