Clear Channel seeks poster boss

Clear Channel International is on the hunt for a managing director

for its UK poster business, More Group, and is about to begin trawling

for a new general manager for its radio sales division.

The outdoor managing director will take over from Peter Smyth, who has

been promoted following a European restructure, resulting in the

creation of four business regions.

Smyth takes on the new role of regional director of Northern Europe,

which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Holland.

He will oversee strategic development - covering franchises,

acquisitions and tenders - across all media and he will guide e-commerce

developments.

The restructure will allow regional directors to focus on longer-term

issues and share best practices across regions, freeing country managing

directors to concentrate on the day-to-day task of increasing sales and

profits.

Smyth said that while there were potential internal candidates for the

managing director’s post, he wanted to cast the net wide. The company is

looking for someone with management and marketing experience, ideally

from a media background.

The radio head will have a managing director-type role over the

40-strong sales unit, which will be formed in the new year, following

the acquisition of Katz Radio Sales.

Jonathan Bass, CCI’s group development director- who is responsible for

building the radio division - said there were three natural internal

candidates.

There will almost certainly be a battle for the job between Katz’s man,

commercial director David Goffin, and CCRS’s sales director David

Salem.

Bass confirmed that Simon Lynds, Katz International’s chief executive,

would be talking with Roger Parry, CCI’s chief executive, about his

future.

Bass said: ’I would be surprised if there wasn’t a place for him. But a

philosophical discussion has to take place between Simon and Roger.’

Bass added that he was keen to set up a cross-border selling system, and

the creation of the four European regions could lend itself to this

aim.

As well as Northern Europe - headed by Smyth - the three other new

business regions are Southern Europe, Central Europe and the Nordic

region.

This article was first published on Campaign