Virgin Media scraps CMO role

Virgin Media is scrapping the CMO role currently held by Jeff Dodds as part of a wider management team shakeup following Liberty Global’s $23.3bn acquisition of the telecoms operator earlier this year. 

Virgin Media
A recent Virgin Media ad starring brand ambassador Usain Bolt

Dodds has been moved into a new role of “chief integration officer” to help embed Virgin Media into the wider Liberty Global business. The role is a temporary one, and he will step down at some point in 2014, when he may move into another role within the Liberty Global business or leave the company altogether.

The appointment follows news last week that Virgin Media is to cut around 600 middle and senior management jobs within the business as Liberty Global seeks cost savings to make the division more “agile and efficient”.

Richard Larcombe, currently director of advertising and sponsorship, will now be responsible for the full Virgin Media marketing remit as brand marketing director.

Elsewhere, Virgin Media has also confirmed its executive director of broadband Jon James and executive director of mobile Graeme Oxby are leaving the company as part of its restructure. Aarne Aho, executive director of delivery and support, will take on a role as executive director of products, propositions and segment.

Dana Strong, Virgin Media’s chief operations officer, says: “As consumers increasingly look for combined entertainment and communications bundles, we’re building a structure that will allow us to harness the combined strength of our services under a unified product strategy. Virgin Media has always led the market in innovation and it’s by focusing on the collective power of our products that will help us to continue to disrupt, innovate and grow.”

In May Virgin Media announced ex-News Corporation veteran Tom Mockridge as CEO, replacing Neil Berkett who announced he would retire after the European Commission granted Liberty Global’s takeover bid of the company. 

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