Simon Jennings, the former chief revenue and digital officer for Postmedia Network and executive vice-president of Torstar Digital, has joined Montreal-based Gesca as president of a new media sales agency in Toronto. His appointment is effective immediately.
The Gesca Media Sales Agency officially opens Feb. 1, and will be dedicated to multiplatform sales for La Presse and Gesca’s six other Quebec dailies – including Le Droit and Le Soleil – as well as the company’s family of magazines.
Jennings has nearly 20 years of experience in media sales, including stints with Yahoo, DoubleClick and IAB Canada.
He joined Postmedia Network in the newly created position of chief revenue and digital officer in January, but parted ways with the company in July in what a company spokesperson said was a “mutual” decision.
Canadian Primedia Sales, the company owned by former Canwest newspapers sales executive Ron Clark, is handling ad sales for Gesca until Jan. 30. Olive Media, which is partially owned by Gesca parent the Power Corporation of Canada through its subsidiary Square Victoria Digital Properties, will continue to handle sales for the Gesca web property LaPresse.ca.
“We are delighted to be able to count on a well-known media industry professional in [Jennings], whose media sales expertise and vision make him the ideal person to lead our new media agency,” said Gesca Media Sales president Luc Tremblay in a release.
The opening of a new Toronto sales office enables Gesca to get closer to its customers, with the added promise of “personalized service,” added Tremblay.
