News International appoints chief marketer

News International has appointed former Sainsbury’s and L’Or蠬 marketing director Jeremy Schwartz as its first chief marketing officer. Schwartz will head the combined News International marketing and sales operations covering brands including The Times and The Sun.

News International has appointed former Sainsbury’s and L’Orªal marketing director Jeremy Schwartz (pictured) as its first chief marketing officer. Schwartz will head the combined News International marketing and sales operations covering brands including The Times and The Sun.

The role was created in June last year when James Murdoch, Europe and Asia chairman and chief executive of parent company News Corporation, merged the top commercial, marketing and managing operations of News Group Newspapers and Times Media divisions (MW.co.uk June 23, 2008).

Meanwhile, Roland Agambar, marketing director of The Sun and News of the World, is leaving the company for rival Associated Newspapers †as its chief marketing officer.

He joins from Conival, a specialist food and drinks brand consultancy, where he was chief executive. Previously, he was marketing director for L’Orªal and Sainsbury’s in the UK and director of marketing and innovation for The Coca-Cola Company across Europe.

Murdoch says News International’s commitment to marketing is “stronger than ever”, adding that there was a “huge opportunity to innovate” across the business.

Former BSkyB chief executive Murdoch joined in December 2007, when he became chief executive of parent News Corporation for Europe and Asia. Sky director of marketing and communications Matthew Anderson joined Murdoch as News Corporation group director of strategy and corporate affairs for the region. He has been overseeing the chief marketing officer role.