Energy company Eastern Group has appointed its first brand head.
The move comes as the firm seeks to strengthen its brand within its new
US parent company, TXU.
Lorene Joseph joins the firm from Shell, where she was European brand
manager for five years.
In her new post, she reports to Eastern Group corporate communications
head Joy King. Joseph may have a brief to recruit a brand team in due
course, but for the meantime she will work closely within King’s
team.
This includes media relations head Dave Betteridge, public affairs head
Rachael Reid and internal communications head Pete Maginnis.
Joseph said: ’TXU is very much looking to create a global brand while
maintaining the European culture and customer franchise that Eastern
Group has gained.’
Before working at Shell, Joseph was a management consultant specialising
in the retail sector for eight years at management consultancy Baker
Tilly.
The company has yet to announce with which brand name it will market
itself globally and across Europe. Eastern Group was taken over by TXU
11 months ago. It counts 2.9 million gas and electricity customers,
concentrated in the east of England.
The company last month appointed Grandfield to handle its corporate and
financial media relations and European Strategy to work on its European
public affairs (PR Week, 24 September).