CIM picks marketing chief

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) is understood to have appointed former News International marketer Geoff Hurst as its marketing director.

Hurst, who was most recently marketing director of the Consumers Association, the publisher of the Which? guides, will be responsible for raising the profile of the CIM.

The organisation has been experiencing a membership decline in the past few years, losing 3,700 members between December 2003 and 2004. The current membership figure stands at 50,000.

Hurst will be responsible for the CIM’s brand positioning, as well as taking on a public relations role. Hurst will report to the recently appointed chief executive Christine Cryne (MW January 27). Cryne is responsible for increasing CIM membership, as well as shouldering the overall responsibility for the organisation’s strategy and financial operations.

At Which? Hurst was responsible for the magazines and online product portfolio, which has an annual turnover of more than &£50m and an estimated marketing spend of &£12m. He left the organisation last autumn.

Before that he was marketing director for new media brands at News International, and oversaw the relaunch of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and the News of the World online.

Hurst is also a former head of marketing at Yellow Pages, where he played a major role in taking the brand online.

Hurst later moved to BT, where he was responsible for “large-scale” campaigns and tactical marketing.

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