Bell Media has replaced its former vice-president of marketing and innovation and added two other executives to lead brand partnerships and client strategy just weeks after cutting close to 400 other staff positions.
Michael Alexandor
Michael Alexandor will take over from Nathalie Doré, who left Bell Media earlier this month. As vice-president of marketing and innovation, Alexandor will oversee trade sponsorships and advertising across the country. A former partner at Temporarily Unpopular Ideas, Alexandor’s previous work has included Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” at Unilever and Calvin Klein’s Eurphoria fragrance launch. He has also worked in a similar capacity at Astral Out of Home.
Debbie Drutz, meanwhile, will take on automotive, consumer packaged goods, retail, food and drink and finance as vice-president of client strategy. Previously Drutz was vice-president at The Mix.
“Debbie and her team are being re-tasked to focus on helping our clients achieve their long-term business goals,” Bell Media vice-president of strategic sales, Michael Finney, said in a statement. “These changes are the result of extensive analysis and aim to provide the optimum structure for delivering the best results and service in the industry.”
Alyson Walker
Finally, former vice-president of content at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Alyson Walker, will join Bell Media by the second week of January to become vice-president of brand partnerships. The company said Walker’s mandate will be to make Bell Media the country’s “premium media partner across all platforms.”
Bell Media has undergone significant restructuring over the past few months, cancelling its popular sports program Off the Record and eliminating an estimated 380 editorial and production positions. At the same time, the company has been beefing up its sales team. Earlier this week, Marketing reported that Kristie Painting, who has worked at Olive Media, Yahoo and Doubleclick, has been hired as vice-president of digital sales.
