LBi London

LBi appoints JWT global director Kristin Ruby as Client Partner

Posted by Imogen Thacker May 19th, 2011

London, May 19th 2011: Kristin brings almost two decades of international operations, marketing and technology experience to LBi.

LBi, Europe’s largest digital marketing and technology agency, has appointed Kristin Ruby as Client Partner. Kristin joins LBi from JWT in London, Atlanta & Detroit, replacing Laurent Ezekiel who takes on the newly created role of Worldwide Client Services Director for LBi.

Kristin’s extensive international experience ensures LBi’s global clients like Coca Cola, Garanti Bank, TurkCell and Ericsson are best placed to thrive in the digital arena.

Kristin brings 18 years management experience, including over 14 years in marketing, advertising and technology in addition to retail operations, retail merchandising and IT consulting services.

Prior to joining LBi, Kristin spent 10 years at JWT, where she most recently held the position of Global Operations Director at JWT London for Nokia Global Marketing Activation account. Before this, she was team HSBC’s Chief Operating Officer/Business Director for Global Brand & Sponsorship, where in 2010 her team launched the new HSBC global brand campaign ‘Unlocking the World’s Potential’ now in over 50 international airports.

Anil Pillai, CEO LBi London says “LBi had a superb year in 2010 winning some of the world’s most contemporary brands such as Coca Cola, Ericsson, Virgin Atlantic Airways. We needed more seasoned talent to help deliver on our top accounts and connect our clients with the digital sphere.  We looked high and low for someone to fit our Client Partner role and we feel that Kristin has an excellent range of skills and valuable experience in ensuring clients agendas are met and brought to market.

Kristin Ruby says “I chose to join LBi as I immediately connected with the proposition that the marketing and technology agency’s job is to create a compelling brand experience that drives business results. Its exciting to help companies deliver more than just a brand promise, but a functional brand reality for each and every one of their customers. LBi delivers this to clients every day. And further, given the recent integration of bigmouthmedia, we can now deliver even more value for our clients by blending our teams to extend and connect that customer experience across all media channels.”

Tags: Anil Pillai, Brick Lane, CEO, Client Partner, coca cola, Digital Marketing Agency, Ericsson, Garanti Bank, JWT, Kristin Ruby, LBi, LBi London, TurkCell

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LBi UK promotes Anil Pillai to UK CEO

Posted by Imogen Thacker January 12th, 2011

Anil Pillai, currently UK Managing Director, has been promoted to the role of UK Chief Executive. He will drive the expansion of LBi’s UK operation, working to define and execute digital strategies for clients including BT, Lloyds TSB and Ericsson.

Throughout 2011 Pillai will strengthen LBi’s UK management team with a series of high-profile hires. He will also be responsible for taking the agency’s blended full-service offering to new UK clients.

Ewen Sturgeon, Chief Executive EMEA said: “Anil has been doing an amazing job of leading the agency to new heights in terms of the clients we have won and the work we are now producing. He thoroughly deserves his promotion and I am looking forward to continuing to work with him to further develop LBi in the UK.”

Pillai added: “LBi has been on an exciting journey over the last few years and the momentum with which we are entering 2011 is staggering. It’s great to be taking over as UK Chief Executive at a time when LBi’s creative and strategic offering is reaching critical mass.”

Sturgeon has been LBi’s UK and EMEA Chief Executive since 2007 when the agency was formed following the merger of LBi Icon and Framfab. Prior to that he was Managing Director of Wheel.

Pillai has been UK Managing Director since the creation of LBi three years ago in the UK. Prior to that he was Client Partner at Framfab, and before that Sales Director at Oyster Partners.

Additionally, the reorganisation will see Bigmouthmedia UK Managing Director Phil Gripton take on the newly created role of Managing Director of both LBi UK and Bigmouthmedia UK. LBi and Bigmouthmedia merged last year to provide brands with digital marketing, consulting and technology services in multiple international territories. Gripton joined Bigmouthmedia UK in September 2009. Prior to that he was Director of Partners at Cable & Wireless.

http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1048932/LBi-promotes-Anil-Pillai-UK-CEO

Tags: Anil Pillai, BT, Ericsson, Ewen Sturgeon, LBi UK

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LBi is #1 in the UK’s Top 100 Marketing Agencies league table

Posted by Imogen Thacker October 21st, 2010

LBi has topped the NMA Top 100 Interactive Marketing Agencies 2010 guide to become the UK’s NUMBER ONE DIGITAL MARKETING AGENCY second year running www.lbi.co.uk.

Founded in 1995 LBi currently employs almost 500 digital specialists in the UK and provides marketing and technology solutions to a range of quality clients including BT, M&S, Virgin Atlantic, Electrolux, Etihad, Unilever, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and E.on.

This year, LBi has expanded its media offering by merging with leading search specialist, bigmouthmedia, to make LBi the largest digital marketing and technology agency in Europe. Bigmouthmedia clients include BT, British Airways, Europcar, Fujitsu and Radisson.

Highlights for LBi in the past 12 months include winning some amazing accounts including E.ON , the UK’s leading power and gas companies, Virgin Atlantic, Ericsson and Comparethemarket.com.  Bigmouthmedia wins include Standard Life, Littlewoods Europe, Habitat , Dyson, and Radisson.

LBi has also made several key hires during the past year including Andrew Pinkess as Director of Strategy, Glenn Jones, as Client Partner and Phil Gripton, as UK MD of bigmouthmedia.   And the infamous industry event of the year, the ‘LBi Rave’, is set to have its second succession mash at the LBi London Brick Lane offices, on Thursday 2^nd December.

Anil Pillai, MD, LBi UK says: “2010 has exceeded all of our expectations.  The agency has more self-belief, creative energy and breadth of skills. As a result, we have enjoyed greater new business success and strengthened our existing client relationships. 2011 is set to be a promising year as we see our work bearing fruit and continue to move the agency forwards”.

Ewen Sturgeon, CEO, LBi UK says: “Our work is more blended than ever before which sets LBi up to enter 2011 with great promise. The integration of CRM, Social Media, and Analytics into more traditional marketing disciplines will be the foundations for LBi’s work going forward”.

Lyndsay Menzies, CEO, BMM UK says, “Its testament to a great team that in 2010 not only have we combined the two business but have continued to see strong performance whilst now engaging with clients right across the digital spectrum. 2011 looks set to be another successful year for the company”.

Tags: Anil Pillai, bigmouthmedia, Ewen Sturgeon, LBi London, LBi Rave, LBi UK, NMA

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LBi’s CRM team has trebled to meet growing client demand

Posted by Imogen Thacker October 18th, 2010

LBi London’s CRM team has grown to 70 experts globally in under 5 months. Led by Pipa Unsworth, Global Head of CRM, LBi’s expanding team specialises in social CRM, mobile CRM and eCRM – a complete offering.  This ensures that LBi’s CRM service offering is market leading and able to provide the very best communications solution to our clients.  Existing CRM clients include Electrolux, BT Tradespace, Barratt Homes, Lloyds Banking Group, Marks & Spencer, Invesco Perpetual, Royal Bank of Scotland from the UK and Rogaine, Aldar Properties and William Grant & Sons on a global basis.  LBi’s CRM department is internationally known because it is part of the full service offering and draws on other skills within the agency – User Experience, Strategy and Planning, Social Media, Branded Content, User Research, Analytics and Creative. A recent hire is specialist CRM expert Deborah Womack into the role of CRM Practice Leader to develop these emerging service offerings in the UK.  Deborah held a position at Sony for 5 years where she developed Sony’s CRM programme across 28 countries across Europe.  At Experian Deborah was responsible for delivering large-scale UK, European and global CRM programmes for some of the World’s leading brands: Sky, Skype, Orange, Next Directory, Citibank, egg, American Express, Barclays Bank plc, Lloyds TSB.

LBi has also recruited Tom Burrell, Ken Martin, Caroline Smart and Dagmar Klein as Senior CRM Consultants.  Tom was previously an Insight Planner at Tequila, responsible for CRM, data and digital strategy planning for The Carbon Trust, Gala Coral and Anglo Irish Bank.  Tom was also voted as one of the UK’s Top Rising Stars of Marketing (Marketing Week Rising Stars Awards 2008).  Ken was previously Senior Planner at Wunderman, responsible for direct and CRM strategy for Ford, including the pan-European launch of the Ford Focus and Focus C-MAX. Following that he moved client side to Capital One Bank Europe, to take up the role of Campaign Strategy Manager. Caroline was previously a CRM Consultant at OgilvyOne working with British Airway’s global loyalty team. Caroline also worked on loyalty programmes for Dove and American Express and communication programmes for numerous Unilever brands. Our most recent hire, Dagmar, joins us from Mazda Motors Europe’s Customer Interaction department where she managed their successful European CRM programme.

James Maxwell also joined the team as a CRM Consultant. James was previously a Senior Technical Account Manager at email marketing provider eCircle.

Pipa Unsworth’ s role at the helm of CRM is to ensure innovative and effective service offerings, thought leadership, exceptional talent and the right strategic partnerships to support our growing portfolio of CRM clients. Pipa was previously at Syzygy, where she established and led the Planning & Insight department. Prior to Syzygy, Pipa was part of the management team of the Global Marketing & Analytics Competency Practice at Siebel, a leading CRM solution provider, and led over 30 blue-chip clients (including BT, Finnair, General Motors, Vodafone and AXA) realise the value of their CRM programmes.

Pipa Unsworth, Global Head of CRM is excited about the challenge and says:  “We’re providing our clients with a fresh take on CRM – a pragmatic approach that’s focused on getting the most out of their existing investments whilst harnessing emerging communication platforms and technologies to enable them to have real conversations with their customers. It’s proving to be a popular approach, as evidenced by the continued growth of the team.”

Anil Pillai, LBi’s UK MD says: “CRM ascended most clients’ agendas in 2009; with the recession reminding companies that managing and facilitating profitable customer relationships is a business priority. In addition, our clients recognise the importance of closely integrating their digital, social and relationship marketing strategies together to ensure their brand communicates effectively and authentically in every interaction, every tweet, and every touch point.”

Tags: Anil Pillai, Barratt Homes, BT Tradespace, CRM, Invesco Perpetual, LBi, LBi London, LBi UK, Lloyds Banking Group, Marks & Spencer, pipa unsworth, Royal Bank of Scotland

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