Trading Places: (8 Jan) This week's people moves in advertising, marketing and media

Advertising

Direct and digital agency Flourish has hired MRM London creative director Drew Forsyth as creative director. Keith Nichol, one of Flourish's three founders, now moves from creative director to executive creative director. (Brand Republic)

Marketing

The Number UK, more commonly known as 118 118, has appointed former TBWA\London managing director Jo Blundell as its first chief marketing officer. Blundell will take control of the brand's annual £15m marketing budget. (Marketing)

AXA Insurance has promoted Swiftcover.com marketer Tina Shortle to the position of marketing director. Shortle will take responsibility for the marketing of all AXA's general insurance direct and intermediated products. (Marketing)

Pizza Hut's marketing director of its UK restaurant arm, Claudia Nicholls-Magielsen, is leaving to take on a senior marketing role at sister company Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Nicholls-Magielsen has been appointed to the new role of director of new concepts at KFC. She will report to KFC vice president of marketing, Jennelle Tilling. (Brand Republic)

Retail marketing agency Abc Media has appointed former Titan executive Richard Rowley to the new role of senior sales manager. Rowley, who has around 15 years of media experience, was previously head of sales at Atmad, the digital outdoor specialist. (Media Week)

Media

Nick Bampton, managing director of Viacom Brand Solutions, has left the sales house after nine years following the surprise loss of its MTV Networks contract at the end of last year. Bampton has been instrumental in developing VBS into an award-winning sales operation during his tenure. (Media Week)

Jim McDonald, the head of broadcast at MPG, has left the Havas-owned media agency. He is thought to be pursuing other interests in the media sector outside of TV buying. The agency has not yet announced a replacement but is expected to announce changes to its broadcast buying operations at some point in the next few weeks. (Campaign)

Broadcaster ITV has further changed the makeup of its executive board with the departure of two non-executive directors. Heather Killen and Agnes Touraine, who joined the board in 2007, are standing down. The departures of Killen and Touraine follow that of Sir George Russell, deputy chairman of ITV. James Crosby, a senior non-executive independent director, has also announced his intention to step down. (Media Week)

IPC's women's monthly Marie Claire has promoted Helen Assucena to the new role of head of fashion and international. She was previously brand advertising manager for the IPC Southbank women's glossy. Assucena will report to advertising director Nicole Waudby. (Media Week)

Independent planning and buying agency TCS Media is bolstering its management team with the appointment of three associate directors as part of a company restructure. The London-based agency has promoted senior media planner buyers David Price, Justin Mallinson and head of digital Ciaran Deering to associate directors. (Media Week)

Titan Outdoor has appointed former Associated Newspapers executive Anthony Worssam as its new group head, overseeing the experiential sales part of the business. Worssam will manage Titan's exclusive contract with London Underground. He will report to Titan's national sales director Ged Weston. (Media Week)

Vizeum has appointed Stuart Bowden, Mediaedge:cia's head of strategy, to the role of deputy managing director. Bowden effectively replaces Vizeum's head of strategy, Matthew Hook, who is leaving to join Aegis in the US. Bowden takes responsibility for planning and strategy for Vizeum reports to the agency's managing director, Grant Millar. Matthew Platts, managing partner, investment, at Vizeum, has had his role extended to become the commercial director for Aegis Media UK, and Stuart Newman, managing partner, planning, now takes responsibility for new business within Vizeum. (Campaign)

Jonathan Ross, the BBC's star presenter, is to leave the corporation when his contract ends this summer following a year of controversy. The departure of 49-year-old Ross follows the BBC being heavily criticised for his reported £6m a year pay packet as the spotlight fell on public sector pay. (Brand Republic)

Bauer Media has realigned its senior advertising team, promoting Abby Carvosso to the new role of head of magazine sales. Carvosso, formerly deputy managing director of Grazia and Pop, will now lead Bauer Media's women's, men's, music and entertainment magazine sales teams. Richard Hayes, head of magazine trading, will report to her. In addition, Richard Phillips has been promoted to head of digital sales. Phillips replaces Kurt Edwards, who left Bauer in September last year to become digital commercial director at Future. (Brand Republic)

WPP has handed GroupM Interaction chief executive Rob Norman the additional role of chief executive of GroupM North America. Norman will take over the role on 31 March from Marc Goldstein, who is retiring. Management responsibilities will be shared between Norman and Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer at GroupM. (Brand Republic)

This article was first published on brandrepublic.com