Dell lures former Gateway rival
Former Gateway marketing director Neil Stevens has joined rival manufacturer Dell UK & Ireland. He takes on the new role of business development director for the home and small business division.
Stevens will examine the company’s sales, servicing and marketing for the division, which covers the consumer market and small businesses. He reports to Simon Calver, vice-president of Dell’s home and small business division – based in Ireland.
Stevens was Gateway marketing director for only three months, before the US parent company decided to close its UK and Ireland operation. The decision led to the loss of 165 sales and marketing jobs.
Stevens called a review of Gateway’s &£14m UK advertising account, held by McCann-Erickson, only a few weeks after arriving in June. The media planning and buying business – held by Universal McCann – was put up for review in July.
Stevens joined Gateway from Tiny computers, where he was product and marketing director.
Dell this month posted third-quarter profits of $429m (&£303.3m), down a third on the same period last year but ahead of Wall Street predictions.
The company receives 70 per cent of its revenue from business customers; 30 per cent from consumer sales.
Dell uses Abbott Mead Vickers. BBDO and CDP-travissully for its UK advertising, with global branding by DDB Worldwide.
