Eurostar raids DHL for its sales and marketing chief

Eurostar Group has poached DHL UK’s commercial director to head its sales and marketing division.

Pascal Tomasso has been appointed to the new position of executive director of sales and marketing.

Eurostar Group commercial director of Leisure markets Bertrand Guillian and Eurostar commercial director of business markets Alistair Gordon will both report to Tomasso.

Tomasso joins Eurostar in the middle of the high-speed train service’s planned advertising agency consolidation. Eurostar is to see pitch presentations this week from incumbent agency Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, Publicis and TBWA London.

It is also seeking a direct marketing agency for pan-European work.

Tomasso’s appointment is part of Eurostar’s aim to strengthen its senior management team. Jacques Damas joins at the start of next month as executive director of operations. He joins from a French train operator.

David Azéma, chairman and chief executive of Eurostar Group, says: “The new positions have been created to consolidate and strengthen our management teams’ drive to continue building Eurostar’s market leading position.”

Eurostar Group is the pan-European company responsible for the commercial direction of Eurostar international high-speed rail services. It was set up in March 1999 by the joint operating railways of Eurostar – Eurostar(UK), SNCF (French National Railways) and SNCB/NMBS (Belgium National Railways).