Google appoints new UK boss

Google has appointed Dennis Woodside as managing director for the UK, Ireland and Benelux. He succeeds Kate Burns, who stepped down from the role three months ago. He takes over immediately.

Google has promoted Dennis Woodside to managing director for the UK, Ireland and Benelux. He succeeds Kate Burns, who stepped down from the role three months ago. He takes over immediately.

Woodside has been with the company for three years, and has most recently been helping it develop its operations in Eastern Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

The appointment comes as the internet giant is developing a range of new, advertising-based products across digital and traditional media, including radio, print and television. Google is also expected to move into mobile search and online video advertising, areas which it sees as having the most potential for growth over the next year.

Woodside says: “There’s going to be a bit of experimentation. Can I tell you which is the next search? No.”

He adds that his biggest challenge in the short term would be “how do you make sense of all this for a marketer?”

Nikesh Arora, vice-president of European operations at Google, says Woodside would be working closely with the UK advertising industry to develop these opportunities.

Burns, who last week joined digital media company Adlink, was one of a string of defections from senior roles in the internet sector when she left Google. She has joined Adlink to help with its move into the search-engine market.

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