The Specialist Works invests in senior talent post management buyout
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Independent media agency The Specialist Works has appointed Katie Lobina as trading director on the agency’s board, and James Olney as head of data & analytics.
Katie, previously commercial director at PMX, part of Publicis, will be the commercial and trading lead. Prior to PMX, she was Barter Trading Director at Zenith, Business Manager at C5, and Broadcast Manager at MEC.
James joins The Specialist Works following two years as Data Strategy Director at Havas Group, leading data strategy and digital transformation on the agency’s largest account O2.
James is well practiced in delivering effectiveness for clients through activation and measurement technologies. While working at Havas he developed a Unified Measurement Framework built on two-stage modelling, enabling short and long-term measurement of business impacts from marketing activity.
Tim Neligan, Managing Director, says “The Specialist Works is in the throes of a huge transformation, and we’ll continue to invest in our people to ensure we go from strength to strength after another record year, futureproofing our clients for years to come.
“Katie’s impressive background and experience in the media sector makes her the perfect person to build innovative commercial models around our clients’ needs. James brings a passion for championing data transparency and fostering a culture of effectiveness. We’re thrilled to see them join the team.”
Katie Lobina, trading director, says “What really excites me about this role is that it touches all parts of the business from pitches and onboarding to planning and buying, finance and operations. I’ll be involved with clients, media owners and partners – many of whom I have longstanding relationships with.”
James Olney, head of data & analytics, says “I’m really looking forward to working in an independent, entrepreneurial environment to create innovative data products, tools and practices for clients who are looking to develop their campaigns’ effectiveness. I’m passionate about finding ways to use data and tech to solve clients’ problems, and this is The Specialist Works’ raison d’être.”
Katie and James will report to Managing Director Tim Neligan.
