Shandwick has appointed Gary Thompson to the newly-created position
of group global accounts director, to build its international client
base.
Thompson, currently president of Golin/Harris Technologies, a Shandwick
company, will be responsible for winning and servicing large global
clients.
The appointment echoes the set-up at other large agencies which already
have senior consultants responsible for winning and advising
international clients. Burson-Marsteller has a business development team
for global clients based in New York, while each international or big
local client has a designated consultant, or client leader.
Thompson will help Shandwick to better organise itself for and identify
global business in the US, where two thirds of international clients are
based. Thompson will be based in Boston but report to Dermot McNulty,
Shandwick group chief executive, based in London.
He takes over responsibility for Americas-based international clients
from international marketing director Ian Rumgay, who continues to
oversee global accounts in regions outside the Americas.
Thompson will co-ordinate international new business efforts undertaken
by Shandwick senior management including McNulty, chairman Lord
Chadlington and Shandwick’s four regional directors.
