Audi appoints Volkswagen boss to head UK marketing

Audi has appointed Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles marketer Nigel Brotherton as head of UK marketing.

Brotherton replaces Gary Savage, who becomes head of operations. Both will report to new UK director Jeremy Hicks.

It was reported that former Skoda marketing chief Chris Hawken, who has been at Volkswagen in Singapore for the past three years, was returning to the UK to head Audi’s marketing.

But Hawken has joined as brand communications manager and will report to Brotherton, who starts on October 1. Brotherton will have responsibility for Audi’s &£16.4m UK advertising budget and will oversee its relationship with Bartle Bogle Hegarty. He was appointed as head of marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles last year (MW July 29, 2004).

He moved from his role as customer relationship strategy manager at Volkswagen Passenger Cars, where he was also head of advertising and communications for six years in the 1990s, and replaced David Williams, who became head of customer strategy after eight years as head of marketing.

Hicks was appointed Audi UK chief last month (MW July 7) to replace Kevin Rose, who left earlier this year to take up a senior marketing position at Volkswagen in Germany (MW May 12). Hicks joined from Volkswagen Group UK, where he was head of group service.

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