EXCLUSIVE: Ikon’s former digital director Ellie Rogers has joined Facebook as part of a broad restructure at the social media juggernaut which will see her installed as Head of Agency to run a newly resourced unit.
Facebook CEO William Easton confirmed the move to AdNews as part of a broader overhaul of the Australian operation which will see the company double the size of its team here this year and finalise the composition of at least nine new “vertical” teams geared around industry sectors such as FMCG, financial services, retail, telecommunications and technology.
“With the growth and size of the organisation, we’re looking to bring in experts to help us do that and Ellie obviously comes from a fantastic background of experience on the agency side,” Easton said. “So she’ll be managing our agency team. Agencies are critical to our business. They have been. Always will be. The role of the agency team is to work hand-in-hand with the agencies to better understand how to use the Facebook platform to deliver against their customers needs and objectives. Ellie’s job is to equip the agency teams in the knowledge to do that.”
The changes follow last week's story in AdNews that Facebook Australian director of commercial development and sales, Liam Walsh, had left his role to lead a crack direct response advertising team in Australia and Japan aiming to take on the huge volumes booked through performance advertising across search, portals and ad networks.
Walsh’s new role is now head of PMD and Performance, Australia and Japan.
Easton said Facebook’s momentum was still building in Australia with a new threshold of 12 million active users now achieved and engagement levels still on the rise.
He did not expect duplication between Rogers agency group and the new industry vertical units.
“I need to be very clear about this,” he said. “The [industry] vertical teams will be solving or providing specific solutions for specific customers in conjunction with agencies. So they’ll be working hand-in-hand with the agency teams.”
Rogers appointment to Facebook follows the news last week that Mediabrands had appointed her former CEO at Ikon Dan Johns as group commercial director.
Johns and Rogers were part of the top management posse at STW-owned Ikon before being axed in March.
Back then Facebook had underlined how highly it regarded Rogers and hinted at the shape of things to come. Sales boss Walsh described Rogers as a "fantastic operator" in the comments beneath this article, and predicted a "bidding war" for her services.
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at paulmcintyre@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.