T-Mobile axes top marketing post

T-Mobile is scrapping its top UK marketing role when sales and marketing director Clent Richardson leaves at the end of March. His responsibilities will be absorbed by new managing director Brian McBride when he joins in July.

McBride will replace Harris Jones, who is leaving T-Mobile this summer after three years in the job. McBride will oversee all UK operations. He joins from Dell Computers where he was vice-president Northern Europe, and had dealt with sales and marketing. He will report to T-Mobile International chief executive officer Rene Obermann.

McBride will work with UK director of marketing Sandy Munro, who was appointed last year to make the brand more relevant to the UK. There are no plans to reshuffle the marketing department to implement the change, but a spokeswoman did not rule out McBride making changes when he arrives.

Richardson, who was responsible for the rebranding of T-Mobile from One 2 One last year, announced in December that he was leaving to return to the US. He joined One 2 One in April 2001 and was previously the vice-president for worldwide marketing at Apple (MW April 5, 2001). He does not have a job to go to.

T-Mobile, part of Deutsche Telekom AG, is currently promoting its picture messaging services, launched last June, and its new business price plans. It is planning to extend its role in the business market by introducing a package of services.