Barclays loses head of direct marketing to agency Rapier
Barclays direct marketing chief Matthew Harris is leaving the bank to join Rapier to head the agency’s data planning team.
Harris, head of direct response and customer relationship management (CRM), replaces Kath Ginn, who is joining Virgin Media as head of customer insight. Ginn has been on long-term secondment at the cable operator covering the role. She joined the agency in 2001 as principal consultant from customer relationship management consultancy Sophron.
Harris is responsible for all customer segmentation, data planning, evaluation and CRM at the Barclays retail business and across all channels including branches, direct mail and digital.
Previously, he worked at mobile operator Orange as head of CRM strategy and for KPMG Consulting.
He is the second senior marketer to resign from the bank this month. Director of marketing services Peter Duffy is leaving to join Volkswagen-owned car marque Audi as head of marketing (MW March 15). Duffy conducted the review of Barclays £30m direct marketing account last year, which was eventually split between EHS Brann and WWAV Rapp Collins (MW August 3, 2006).
Rapier has recently been appointed to the £15m PruHealth integrated account and beat Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R to take the lead role in the launch of Virgin Media, which rebranded last month from the NTL and Telewest cable brands.
