BSB appoints retail director to drive sales at independent outlets

British Sky Broadcasting (BSB) has appointed a retail marketing and distribution director to drive sales through multiples and independent electrical retailers, as well as door to door.

Lawrence Bleach has joined BSkyB from snack-food company Walkers, where he was business unit director for the grocery channel. Prior to Walkers, Bleach spent nine years at Colgate-Palmolive in a variety of sales, marketing and finance roles.

Bleach will report to BSkyB director of sales Andrew Morley and will take on the trade marketing responsibilities previously handled by Simon Collinson, who has left the company to become sales director at at Bacardi. Bleach will oversee a team of 50 and take responsibility for BSkyB’s field sales, which are managed by field marketing agency Brann Ellert.

Morley says: “The retail trade remains an essential part of BSkyB’s distribution strategy as it aims for its target of 7 million customers by the end of 2003. Lawrence’s wide-ranging experience will be an asset to BSkyB’s drive to remain at the forefront of the UK’s transition to digital television.”

BSkyB had signed up 6.1 million subscribers to its service by June 30 and at its last set of results, published in July, said that it was on target to achieve 7 million by December 2003.