This week in leadership updates, Peacock hires Shannon Willett as chief marketing officer, Unilever’s most senior marketer Connie Braams starts a new position that reflects the blurred lines between digital and sales, Mastercard brings on Julie Nestor as senior vice president for marketing and communications in Asia-Pacific and more.
Peacock Names Shannon Willett Chief Marketing Officer
NBCUniversal has announced the appointment of Shannon Willett—former Netflix vice president of global marketing strategy and operations—to CMO, reports Variety.
In the newly established role, Willett will lead global marketing for Peacock including brand management, creative, media planning, marketing operations, social, content marketing, subscriber growth and customer care.
Previously, Willett spent about seven years at Netflix, leading a team of 250 employees globally.
Unilever Scraps Dedicated Chief Marketing Officer Role
In response to the convergence happening in media, entertainment and shopping channels, Unilever has nixed the dedicated CMO role and appointed Conny Braams—its most senior marketer—to chief digital and commercial officer.
On the newly established role, Braams told Adweek, “It doesn’t mean we’re dropping marketing. It means we’re adding sales. . . We can now build brands and convert sales at the same time, so why would [we] artificially split that?”
Mastercard Taps Julie Nestor As Chief Marketer For Asia-Pacific
Julie Nestor has joined Mastercard as senior vice president, head of marketing and communications in Asia-Pacific. In addition to overseeing corporate reputation, brand messaging and stakeholder relations, Nestor will drive consumer engagement through Priceless, Mastercard’s marketing platform.
Nestor brings to Mastercard 25 years of marketing experience across the financial services, technology and hospitality industries. Most recently, she was Manulife’s Asia-Pacific CMO.
Dr. Seuss Elevates Shannon Spisak To Vice President, Marketing And Communications
Shannon Spisak has accepted a promotion as Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ vice president, marketing and communications.
Spisak has spent the past six years at the company, most recently as senior director of global marketing and communications.
Jill Cress Joins H&R Block As Chief Marketing Officer
H&R Block has announced the hire of veteran marketer Jill Cress as chief marketing and experience officer, according to AdAge.
Cress spent 23 years at Mastercard before becoming CMO at National Geographic and vice president of global brand at PayPal, respectively.
PlayStar Casino Names Jon Bowden Chief Marketing Officer
PlayStar Casino has appointed Jon Bowden to lead its marketing efforts.
Bowden has more than a decade of gambling market experience, having served in various senior marketing positions at companies including The Rank Group, Ladbrokes Coral and Gala Coral Group.
