Barclays Bank hires market planning head

Barclays Bank has appointed former World Telecom marketing manager Julia McKechnie as head of marketing planning.

McKechnie’s appointment to the newly-created post completes the restructure of Barclays’ retail marketing department.

World Telecom is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) as a provider of telecoms services such as calling cards.

McKechnie will report to head of marketing services Belinda Furneaux-Harris, who recently joined from HSBC following the retirement of Michael Head (MW September 9).

The marketing services department is responsible for implementing corporate strategy and procuring services across Barclays’ six retail marketing divisions.

McKechnie’s appointment follows a complete overhaul of Barclays’ retail marketing department, which has seen ten of its 13 divisions replaced by four new divisions focusing on customer service rather than products.

The marketing divisions devoted to loans, life and pension products, savings, investments, mortgages, current accounts, new product development, general insurance, wealthy customers and offshore banking have been dropped.

They are being replaced by divisions devoted to personal customers, small businesses, customer segmentation and wealth management.

Barclays insists the restructure will result in only a handful of job cuts from its 400-strong retail marketing operation.

The bank recently announced plans to cut its 60,000-strong workforce by 7,000.

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