EMAP poaches Scott from G&J

EMAP Elan has poached Victoria Scott, ad sales director of Gruner & Jahr, to be its commercial director.

The role, which is a new one, gives Scott a brief to look at all aspects of the company’s advertising sales. She will be in charge of the sales strategy for Elan’s portfolio of women’s magazines, and the systems and organisation of its sales teams.

She will also look at the potential for cross-selling of titles, both within the group and between its teenage titles and some of EMAP’s radio stations.

The company also wants to prepare the ground for the launch of some of its titles on the Internet and form an online sales strategy. Scott will look at making use of the company’s mailing list for database marketing.

Sue Hawken, managing director of EMAP Elan, stresses that Scott will not take on the role of group sales director, although she will look at whether a group sales team is needed.

She says: “Whenever we are ap proached about a group deal, Vicki will help us decide about taking it and will be the conduit to make it happen. But I doubt if we will ever set up a group sales department.”

Scott believes she will spend six months simply looking at how the company operates. She will join at the end of October.

At G&J, Scott says she “ripped apart” the sales department she inherited two years ago. “The job at EMAP is very different, it is about gearing up for the future, not radical surgery.”

EMAP Elan publishes New Woman, Elle, more!, Just Seventeen, It’s Bliss, Looks, Slimming, and Mother & Baby.