Avis picks DM boss as head of marketing

Avis UK has promoted its direct marketing manager, Susan Yallop, to head of marketing, filling a role that has been vacant for a year.

Yallop, who will report to UK director of marketing Grahame Gallagher, will continue her work on the car rental company’s loyalty brands Advance and Preferred, but will also develop strategic partnerships with other organisations, such as airlines bmi and British Airways.

She will also investigate e-commerce developments for the brand.

The previous head of marketing Claire Harold left the company over a year ago, after a restructure in the marketing department sparked by the rental company deciding to put greater focus on customer relationship marketing. It is uncertain if she had a job to go to.

Before joining Avis a year ago, Yallop was European manager for the frequent flyer programme at South African Airways. She worked for the airline for six years and was instrumental in the launch of the loyalty programme Voyager. Before that, Yallop held the top marketing post at BA subsidiary GB Airways.

Avis UK has worked with direct marketing agency Black Cat since 1994 but brought in Perspective Redcell last November to work on its partnership with bmi after the rental company was named preferred supplier to the airline.

Yallop says she has no plans to review the agency line-up.