Ex-Unilever man to head Orange brands
Orange has appointed former Unilever marketer Richard Morley as group vice-president of brands. He replaces Niall O’Keefe, who left the mobile phone operator last month to join PC World as marketing director.
Morley, who takes over the role on June 4, will be responsible for internal management and promotion of the brand strategy. He will report to Caroline Mille-Langlois, senior vice-president of communications and brand.
He joins the company as France Telecom moves to take greater control of the brand by scaling back its brand team.
The restructure follows the departure of Frank Boulben, vice-president of brand and consumer marketing, at the end of last year. Boulden’s role was scrapped and his responsibilities passed to Patrick Rouvillois, vicepresident of consumer marketing for Orange Group.
O’Keefe, who was also head of consumer propositions, was promoted to the role following the departure of Alex Batchelor to join the Royal Mail in 2005 (MW April 21, 2005).
Morley joined Unilever in 1988 as a marketing trainee in the packaged goods giant’s personal care division. He worked on a number of brands including Signal toothpaste and Impulse bodyspray. In 1995, he moved to Buenos Aires to set-up Unilever’s Latin American Regional Innovation Centre and work on the development of its deodorant and haircare brands.
He returned to London after four years to head the global marketing of Unilever’s haircare brands before moving to New York to join International Flavors & Fragrances ahead of strategic development of its personal care business.
In 2005, he returned to Unilever in Bangkok as vice-president of marketing for Sunsilk, its largest personal care brand in Asia. He joins Orange from MEAT, a management consultancy that specialises in brands and brand strategy.
