LBI looks to expansion with client wins

The new UK chief executive of LBI Anil Pillai says he is looking to make more ’high-profile appointments’ and push for new business in the healthcare and automotive industries.

LBI will soon announce ’two big FMCG wins’, Pillai says, will look to pick up more healthcare and pharmaceuticals work and is keen to appoint a ’client partner’ to oversee healthcare accounts.

Automotive is another area which Pillai is looking to get ’more deeply into’ and he says that although car companies had ’recoiled from digital spend’ he sees the landscape changing and that ’high-end digital creativity’ is needed for virtual showrooms on Web and mobile.

Pillai assumed the post of UK chief executive this year and replaces Ewen Sturgeon, who becomes chief executive of Europe Middle East and Africa.

LBI merged with digital marketing group Bigmouth Media last year, which has allowed its UK managing director Phil Gripton to also take on Pillai’s former managing director position.

The relationship between LBI and Bigmouth Media is being further consolidated to make a more integrated offer, with Pillai saying the businesses will ’share teams and bind together.’

Pillai says LBI is currently looking for a head of mobile – a position which has been vacated by Lorenzo Wood, who has become chief technology officer.

The head of mobile will, ’Work with our partners to deliver mobile services and solutions to clients; someone who is aware of next generation innovation,’ says Pillai. He expects the candidate to be ’from the mobile world and have experience of app stores’.

There will be two new client partner roles – one of which will oversee healthcare accounts – ’and we’re also looking to make some changes internally on the executive team’, Pillai says.

The other client partner role will be a general position overseeing a group of clients. Pillai says, ’We need to make these senior appointments following a series of high-profile wins last year.’

In December 2010 Marketing editor Gareth Jones left the Haymarket title to become brand engagement director at LBI, following New Media Age deputy editor Nic Howell, who left Centaur Communications in August 2010 to become senior planner at LBI.

Start the discussionStart the discussion
  • Post a comment

Latest articles