Diners Club looks for UK strategy head

Diners Club is looking for a top strategic marketer in the UK as part of an attempt to revive its UK business following its purchase by Citigroup last year.

The company has just appointed Ian Mathie UK chief executive following a period of uncertainty. Beyond retaining the brand, no decisions about the formal strategy for the charge card in the UK have been taken and all options are being considered, including merging its operations with Citibank’s in the UK. Diners Club has a skeleton marketing staff of six.

Citigroup bought Diners Club’s European operations from Italian fashion and luxury goods company GPT Holdings last September, but has owned Diners Club International in the US since 1981.

Diners Club’s most recent marketing director was Jonathan Lavercombe, who was responsible for hiring ad agency Tullo Marshall Warren. He left in 2002.

Diners Club has seen its market share decline over the past decade compared to competitors American Express, Visa and MasterCard.