The transition of the Bell Media sales team under the organization’s new president Mary Ann Turcke continued this week with a series of departures, three promotions and a new executive appointment.
The company announced Wednesday it has hired Mark Finney to the newly created position of vice-president of strategic sales, responsible for all of its English and French sales marketing, brand partnerships and mix teams. It marks the first time the three revenue streams have been brought together under one group.
Bell said Finney would work to developed a “focused and comprehensive approach” to serve clients and partners, while leveraging and cross-selling the company’s portfolio of TV, radio, out-of-home and digital properties.
Finney arrives at Bell from Star Media Group, where he was VP, office of the publisher, overseeing the company’s overall corporate strategy. The U.K. native began his career at Express Newspapers before joining The Guardian in 1997, holding several key positions including sales director.
He will work out of Bell Media’s midtown Toronto office, reporting to Stuart Garvie, the former GroupM executive who was appointed to lead the company’s sales efforts in May.
The company also announced six executive departures yesterday, including Lesley Conway, SVP of Bell Media sales, English Canada; Gianni Di Iorio, VP, research and revenue management; Paul Lewis, president and GM, Discovery Channel; Paul Rogers, SVP, CTV News Toronto; Erin Sinyard, VP, finance, reporting, planning and capital; and Mario Clément, VP, content, Quebec.
Bell Media also announced three internal promotions: Jeff Hersh to VP, strategy, revenue management and research; David Corey to VP, programming, Bell Media Radio; and Nanci MacLean to VP, in-house production.
The latest management changes come on the heels of a late-August shakeup in Bell Media’s senior executive ranks that saw former programming head and TSN executive Phil King leave the company, and veteran music industry executive Randy Lennox joining the company as president of entertainment production and broadcasting.
