bmi marketing director quits to find ‘challenge’

Long-serving bmi marketer Simon Gregory is to leave the company at the end of this month without a job to go to.

Marketing director Gregory says the decision to leave is his own as he is looking for a new career “challenge”, and the company will restructure on his departure. Sales director Adrian Parkes will be promoted to commercial director with responsibility for marketing.

Gregory joined British Midland in 1988 as an assistant product manager and worked in a number of positions until 1995, when he left to join Budget Rent A Car as marketing manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

He rejoined British Midland in 1996 as general manager marketing and was made marketing director in December 2001. During his time at the company he was involved with the rebranding of the airline from British Midland to bmi british midland in February 2001, and was initially responsible for marketing the low-cost spin-off bmibaby, launched in January 2002.

Gregory has overseen several agency appointments during his tenure. Last year he appointed Partners BDDH to work on the launch of bmibaby and then consolidated the rest of bmi’s &£5m advertising business into the agency last July. Bartle Bogle Hegarty previously handled the account.

In November 2002, Gregory created a direct marketing roster for bmi that includes Partners Andrews Aldridge, True North, Navigator, chc choir and m360.