Hutchison 3G gives former Orange marketing boss permanent post

Hutchison 3G has confirmed that acting marketing chief Lisa Gernon has been given the permanent post of strategy and marketing director.

The move follows speculation about Gernon’s long-term relationship with the start-up 3G company and a recent statement from Hutchison that said the company had “no plans” to formalise her position. Gernon has been working as a consultant for Hutchison 3G since the end of last year.

Gernon has an impressive track record in telecoms marketing: she was group marketing director of Orange, formerly Hutchison Telecom UK, between 1994 and 1997. She was part of the team that took the company to flotation. She was also chief executive of Cable & Wireless Mobile from 1997 to 2000, responsible for product development, mergers and acquisitions and marketing Internet services.

A company spokesman says the newly created job title gives Gernon “a wider brief than just marketing.” She is not expected to alter the company’s marketing agency arrangements. The company uses TBWA for advertising, MindShare for media buying and Firefly for PR. Hutchison’s first 3G service is expected to launch in the autumn.