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Blackwell's restructures senior team after hiring Dean Drew
Blackwell’s has hired Dean Drew to the newly-created role of sales and marketing director following a restructure of the bookseller’s senior management team.
Drew’s most recent role was head of marketing and digital for CPM International and he has previously been marketing director for Peugeot and sales and marketing director at retail specialist RMI.
He has been hired with immediate effect and will also sit on the Blackwell’s board.
At the same time, Blackwell’s sales and commercial teams have undergone a restructure.
Scott Hamilton will continue to head up Blackwell’s shops in a newly created role of head of retail and Gareth Hardy becomes head of publisher liaison, retaining responsibility for buying, terms and publisher relations. They, along with Tim Kilmartin head of corporate, professional and institutional sales, and Susannah Hobbs, senior marketing manager, will all report directly to Drew.
The company’s Digital & Online and Blackwell Learning teams will continue to report directly to c.e.o David Prescott.
Prescott said the changes were part of delivering the company’s on-going strategic growth plans after it achieved 9% sales growth in the year to date.
“Dean will help us bring a joined up marketing approach to all of our sales channels and ensure Blackwell’s customers’ needs are met seamlessly however they shop with us,” he said. “The strengthened team are focussed on driving sales growth and fully exploiting marketing opportunities following excellent summer sales and a positive Back to University campaign that have delivered 9% growth in the year to date.”
Drew said Blackwell´s was an “established and iconic brand” with an “amazing team of people”.
“The thirst for knowledge and learning continues to expand and Blackwell´s is uniquely positioned to grow in the UK and internationally and develop an exceptional customer proposition with books at its heart. I’m thrilled to be joining the company at this time and the opportunities it presents."
