EMAP advertising head defects to Disney

EMAP head of advertising Tom Toumazis has left the company to join Walt Disney Television International (WDTV) as senior vice-president and managing director of European distribution.

At WDTV Toumazis will be responsible for distribution activities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He will report directly to the company’s president, David Hulbert.

As the managing director of EMAP Advertising, Toumazis was responsible for the restructure of sales operations. He introduced cross-media advertising packages across TV, magazines, radio and the Internet.

The concept appeared to have backfired when he came under sharp criticism this year for a fall in the company’s advertising revenues.

Toumazis also launched EMAP on Air, the sales and marketing company for EMAP’s 18 radio stations, which employed 135 people.

Toumazis’ carer began in the media department of ad agency Royds London, from where he went on to London Weekend Television and then to Scottish Television, where he stayed for seven years before moving to its sales house TVMM as head of sales.

In 1993 Toumazis joined Merlin Broadcast Sales and a year later he was appointed UK managing director of satellite broadcaster Eurosport.

Toumazis says: “The opportunity to work in the distribution business for a company with as much heritage as Disney made this an offer I could not refuse. I am sad to be leaving EMAP Advertising but the business is established and has achieved a great deal since its launch.”

EMAP has yet to announce Toumazis’ replacement.