Data networking giant 3Com has poached Cisco Systems’ European PR
manager Sandra van Vreedendaal to replace Lorna Mountford as its
European PR manager.
Van Vreedendaal joins 3Com in January and will be based at the company’s
Marlow office and report to its European marketing manager Bob
Cushing.
She will help co-ordinate a PR strategy across 3Com’s 10 European
markets, including the UK, Germany, Nordic regions and France.
’I’ll be less involved with day-to-day product PR and will concentrate
on corporate PR and issues such as deregulation,’ says van
Vreedendaal.
3Com’s pounds 500,000-fee European account is held by the Weber Group
Europe.
Its pounds 200,000 UK account is currently with Arrow PR.
Van Vreedendaal’s move means she is reunited with Sarah Atkinson, who
joined 3Com from Cisco as UK PR manager a year ago. Cisco is currently
reviewing its European PR arrangements.
3Com is the world’s top producer of network hardware. It has moved out
of a turbulent period by acquiring modem maker US Robotics and
competitor Chipcom. Sales, including those of US Robotics’, were pounds
2.7 billion in 1996.
Mountford left 3Com three weeks ago and has not announced her next
move.
She was not available for comment.
