IPC poaches Initiative online chief
IPC Media has poached Richard Whittle, online planning director at Initiative Media, to lead its digital strategy by work closely with its major clients.
Whittle, who has already taken over as corporate business development manager (digital), will be responsible for developing all aspects of IPC’s digital relationships with media agencies.
He will report to IPC advertising group trading director Ian Tournes.
Whittle spent nearly five years at Initiative Media and has been key to developing the agency’s digital strategy. He has also worked with clients to develop digital marketing strategies. It is not known if Initiative has appointed a replacement.
Whittle says: “Sitting centrally means we can respond to clients’ needs neutrally, and plan across all of IPC’s platforms. We can also plug into Time Warner’s wider family of audiences.”
The appointment is part of IPC’s strategy to improve its online offering, and follows on from Neil Robinson taking on the new role of IPC digital development director.
Robinson will lead strategic development of all the new digital properties across the IPC portfolio, working with each of the divisional managing directors and their digital directors.
Whittle will work closely with Tournes, who joined IPC in April 2006 and was previously at Starcom Mediavest. Tournes reports directly to IPC advertising managing director Caroline McDevitt.
