Ex-GCap director made UK Starcom MediaVest chief
Starcom MediaVest is poised to appoint former GCap Media commercial director Linda Smith as UK chief executive. It is understood that an announcement is due to be made early next week.
Iain Jacob, who was recently promoted from the UK role to chief executive for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has confirmed he is talking to three people about the position, but refuses to comment on the individuals involved.
Smith left GCap Media in September as part of a second revamp of the radio group’s commercial division following a disappointing trading update. GCap operations director Paul Davies decided to leave the company at the same time. Duncan George, managing director of national sales at GCap and former managing director at GWR sales house Opus, has taken over commercial and sales responsibility.
Prior to the launch of GCap, created by the merger of Capital Radio Group and GWR Group, Smith was group commercial director at Capital Radio Group.
Her appointment at Starcom MediaVest will not be her first stint at the media agency. She joined MediaVest as commercial director from Capital Radio-owned sales house Media & Sales Marketing in 1997, before moving back to Capital in 2000 to become managing director of Capital Radio Sales (MW January 20, 2000).
