Gillette appoints global supremo
Gillette promotes former Euro chief to global position ahead of £274m media business review
Gillette has promoted its former top European marketer, Ed Shirley, as senior vice-president of its global marketing services.
The newly created global marketing services division has been set up to provide centralised services to all business units, covering areas such as advertising, corporate marketing programmes, sponsorship, global consumer services and retail.
Shirley, who was president of commercial operations, will report to the company’s global chief executive and chairman James Kilts.
Shirley was moved to Gillette’s US headquarters earlier this year. He was replaced by Procter & Gamble marketer Edward Lonergan, who is responsible for marketing, sales and trade relations throughout Europe (MW April 18). Lonergan reports to international president for commercial operations Ernst Haberli.
The company is reviewing its &£274.5m global media planning and buying business. The three-way review, a first in more than a decade, involves three agencies – the two incumbents, OMD and Universal McCann, as well as non-roster agency MindShare.
In its second-quarter results, Gillette’s net income jumped 27 per cent to $293m (&£191.3m) compared with $232m (&£151.4m) for the previous year. Revenue increased by 5.3 per cent to $2.02bn (&£1.32bn) from $1.92bn (&£1.25bn) last year.
