Marketing boss quits One 2 One
Tim Yates swells marketing exodus after reports of ‘personality clash’ with Clent Richardson
One 2 One marketing director Tim Yates is leaving the company in February “to spend some time with his family”.
Yates’s departure comes after mounting speculation about his future. One 2 One’s marketing department has undergone a restructure and downsizing over the past year, as Deutsche Telecom – which has owned One 2 One since 1999 – announced the loss of 900 jobs at its subsidiary.
A One 2 One spokeswoman says Yates is taking a “well-earned break” after making an “outstanding” contribution to the company and creating a “strong profile” for the brand in the UK.
Yates says: “It has of course been a major decision to leave One 2 One after four extremely challenging – but also hugely rewarding – years. I have been very fortunate in the encouragement my family has given me in support of my career ambitions. I now feel it is time to repay this with an increased commitment to them.”
He continues: “I am exceptionally proud of the way in which the marketing team has exceeded targets.”
One 2 One says its marketing team will remain “a key part” of the company’s commercial directorate, which for the past year has been headed by sales and marketing chief Clent Richardson.
Industry sources suggest Richardson and Yates experienced a “personality clash” and that Yates felt sidelined. A number of key One 2 One marketing and sales personnel have also left recently, including head of business marketing Simon Eggleton, sales director John Barton and head of creative services Steve Ashby.
One 2 One, the UK’s fourth-largest mobile phone network, is to be rebranded as T-Mobile this year, bringing it into line with Deutsche Telecom’s wireless division.
