Sky brand chief Anderson moves to News Corp

Matthew Anderson, BSkyB group director of communications and brand marketing, is joining former boss James Murdoch at News Corporation. He will take on the new role of group director of strategy and corporate affairs for Europe and Asia next month.

He will have a “wide remit” including overseeing marketing, communications, strategy, corporate and public affairs, and corporate responsibility.

Sky will now split Anderson’s role and is now seeking a new director of brand marketing. Graham McWilliam, deputy head of strategy, has been promoted to group director of corporate affairs and Robert Fraser becomes director of corporate communications, also an internal appointment.

McWilliam will lead Sky’s corporate communications, policy and public affairs, internal communications and reputation and responsibility functions. He will report to chief executive, Jeremy Darroch.

The new executive-level brand marketing director post will have responsibility for the marketing and customer communications functions previoulsy overseen by Anderson. He will lead a team including head of brand marketing Robert Tansey, former John Lewis marketer Christian Cull, who oversees customer communications, and former Orange marketer Alex Lewis, whose handled marketing for the Sky’s networks.

Anderson was promoted to head the marketing function following the departure of chief marketing officer Jon Florsheim (mw.co.uk November 17, 2006). Anderson oversaw the appointment of WCRS to Sky’s £100m advertising account.

He joined the satellite company a year earlier and previously worked closely with Murdoch junior, now UK chief executive at Sky parent company News Corp, as Ogilvy PR region chief executive when Murdoch was at Star in Asia-Pacific.