Microsoft raids RSCG for European ad boss

Microsoft has poached EURO RSCG Wnek Gosper client services director Adrian Simons to fill the newly created post of director of advertising for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The appointment follows a restructure at Microsoft, which consolidated the company’s marketing operations and involved the promotion of Oliver Roll, director of enterprise marketing, to the new position of UK marketing director (MW June 21).

Simons, who has been with EURO RSCG for seven years, oversaw the Microsoft business until the agency lost the £7m UK advertising account to McCann-Erickson in March this year.

EURO RSCG also lost the business in eight other markets, including France, Germany, Singapore and China, as part of Microsoft’s consolidation of its entire £291m global advertising account into McCann-Erickson (MW March 8).

Simons will report to John Carter, director of international advertising at Microsoft. He starts his new role in August.

EURO RSCG managing director Chris Pinnington says: “Simons has done a great job on Microsoft. I am not surprised that he has been snapped up by the company.”

In April this year, Microsoft’s rival technology company, Intel, moved its £33m European ad account to EURO RSCG’s London office.

The agency network’s Paris office has handled the work for the past five years and most of the advertising seen in the UK originated in Paris or New York before being adapted for the UK market.