Orange picks vice-president of marketing

Orange UK has promoted Jean-Pascal Van Overbeke to vice-president of marketing. He replaces Alexis Dormandy as the company’s most senior marketer in the UK.

Overbeke was director of strategic marketing, overseeing the marketing department after Dormandy left to take a role at group level last year (MW July 21, 2005).

Overbeke joined Orange in 2004 from Mobistar, the company’s Belgian subsidiary, where he spent eight years in several senior sales and marketing positions. Before Mobistar, he was client director at Ogilvy & Mather.

In his new role, Overbeke will report to executive vice-president of Orange UK Bernard Ghillebaert.

The appointment comes in the middle of a protracted advertising review being held by Orange’s parent company France Telecom (MW November 3, 2005).

Networks including WPP, Omnicom, Publicis and Havas, as well as UK incumbent Mother, are pitching for the business at the start of next month.

Dormandy, was appointed chief marketing officer at Orange UK in the summer of 2004. His arrival sparked a restructure of the mobile operator’s marketing department, which included the exit of UK vice-president of brand marketing Jeremy Dale, and the creation of a new brand team.

Meanwhile, Orange has appointed Marc Overton as vice-president of strategy and business performance. He joins from sister company Wanadoo, where he was managing director of strategy, products and services.