Barclays trawls rivals for new chief

Barclays combs the ranks of rival companies for a senior marketer to co-ordinate retail divisions.

Barclays has approached several top-level marketers from rival companies to take up the newly created role of chief marketer.

The new recruit would have overall responsibility for marketing within Barclays’ retail marketing division, which comprises seven business units and about 400 staff.

Each unit has its own marketing head, but there is no marketing director to co-ordinate marketing strategy across the retail division.

The retail divisions are focused on personal customers, small businesses, customer segmentation, wealth management and marketing services, as well as Barclaycard and b2, the bank’s telephone and Internet arm.

Sources say the new retail role could also include responsibility for marketing the Barclays group as a whole.

Barclays also has divisions dedicated to corporate banking, investment banking and asset management, although their marketing budgets are far smaller than the retail division.

It is not known whether the new chief marketer will take a board position, although sources believe one is on offer. Barclays does not have a marketer on its board at present.

One source, who was approached, says: “Barclays is unhappy with its marketing. It is particularly keen to strengthen the brand and to build on its customer relationship marketing.”

Observers say Barclays’ marketing department lacks any “really big hitters”. They say a new board director, taking overall control of marketing, could give the bank’s marketing the status and consistency it needs.

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