Former NTL boss to steer Connex trains marketing

Train operator Connex South Eastern has appointed former NTL marketing chief Janet Somerville to the new role of strategic marketing director.

Somerville held top marketing positions at Cable & Wireless Communications and NTL. She lost her job as consumer marketing director at NTL in May 2001 when the marketing department was restructured. She was appointed vice-president of marketing segments at satellite mobile phone company ICO Global Communications in November last year and left in July without a job to go to.

Somerville began her career at BT and has also worked for O&M Data Consult and Mercury Communications, where she held positions which included head of strategy and head of consumer marketing.

Connex South Eastern is French-owned and runs commuter trains from London stations Victoria, Charing Cross and London Bridge across Kent and East Sussex. It also runs trains to London suburbs under the Connex Metro brand and operates bus companies in London and the South-east.

As strategic marketing director, Somerville is expected to help develop ways of encouraging more off-peak travel and to develop new services. She will report to chief executive Olivier Brousse.

Day-to-day marketing is handled by marketing manager Ignacio Martinez and the company appoints marketing agencies on a project basis. MediaCom handles media planning and buying. Connex spent &£392,000 on advertising for the year to June (Nielsen Media Research).