Category Archives: People

Justin Thorne joins TLA to lead digital team

As we continue to extend reach within each of our verticals and improve the efficiency of our lead generation processes, we have appointed Justin Thorne as our new head of digital.

Justin (left) has joined us from neuromarketing company Lab, where he had spent three years and was responsible for leading its performance marketing teams. Prior to that role, he held senior marketing positions at Kenshoo and SmartFocus.

At TLA, Thorne will lead a team of digital channel specialists, UX designers and CRO specialists in creating intent and technology-led, lead generation campaigns.

His focus will be on developing strategies that help us connect with and nurture in-market consumers within automotive, property and education.

Justin’s arrival follows the appointment of Antony Neill as performance manager, who joined us from a technology business within the Bibby Line Group earlier this year.

Commenting on their arrivals, TLA’s CEO Anton Hanley said: “We continuously look for ways to improve the services we provide to clients and consumers, which includes recruiting people who can bring something special to our team. Justin and Antony have a wealth of relevant experience in marketing roles; but more importantly, they have the skills, enthusiasm and ideas to implement positive change within the business.

“Justin will help us extend our market reach, so that we connect with more of our clients’ potential customers at different stages of their buying journey; while Antony will drive performance improvements across each stage of our process to ensure the leads we provide are of the highest quality.”

Our growth is set to continue with a number of other exciting vacancies now live within our careers section.

Meet Antony Neill, The Lead Agency’s new performance manager

New years often bring about new starts for people, which is exactly the case for our newly-appointed performance manager Antony Neill.

Joining us in a brand new role for the business, Antony is looking forward to applying his experience to the business’s performance channels. As a quick introduction, he tells us about where he’s come from and his ambitions for The Lead Agency.

Where have you joined us from and what can you tell us about your last role?

I joined The Lead Agency after four years at Bibby Line Group, where I worked across a number of sectors, including shipping, distribution and technology.

The majority of my time at Bibby was spent in a variety of marketing roles, but my most recent role was as a technical sales manager for a new technology business that Bibby launched, where I was responsible for analysing supply chain operations for retail and manufacturing clients, and designing and deploying RFID-based tracking solutions to help them unlock efficiencies.

What are you most proud of from your career to date?

Achieving promotions at each of my last three employers and helping to build Bibby’s ship management arm into a significant challenger within its market both spring to mind. But my most coveted achievement is probably playing a key part in helping Bibby’s technology business – made up of all of nine people – to land a multi-million pound contract with a top 10 UK retailer, an engagement that lasted more than two whole years and many more working hours!

What attracted you to The Lead Agency and this particular role?

The vibrant brand image, the exciting line of business and the company’s culture and ethos all initially attracted me to The Lead Agency; it seemed to match my own personal way of working, and my short time here so far has proven me right.

The role itself is, to me, an almost perfect storm of everything I’m skilled at – analysing and optimising process-led operations within both a marketing and technology context. I can’t wait to get stuck in.

What will be your main responsibilities and what are you hoping to achieve?

The purpose of my role is to ensure that the internal enquiry processing operation – everything after acquisition from marketing, all the way up to distribution to clients – is running smoothly and efficiently. As part of this, I’ll be working across multiple functions within the business – digital marketing, technology, contact centre, compliance and client relations – to make sure that each stage of the operation is linked seamlessly to the last and to the next.

I’ll also be helping to introduce new systems and platforms to the business to help develop our internal operations even further, which will translate to greater value for clients down the line.

To join Antony at The Lead Agency, visit our Careers page.

Former Time Out marketer joins The Lead Agency

As part of our continued growth and investment in the team, we are pleased to welcome Paul Court to the company as our first head of online trading.

Paul joins us from global media company Time Out Group, where he spent two-and-a-half years. In his role as senior digital marketing manager, his responsibilities covered activity for all paid media channels as well as contributing to the overall acquisition strategy.

In his new role at The Lead Agency, Paul will develop our paid acquisition strategy with specific focus on content and email. His remit will be to lead a team in creating digital marketing campaigns within the automotive, higher education and property.

Connecting with more customers

Automotive managing director for The Lead Agency, Tom White described Paul as “an excellent addition to our digital team.”

“His experience in leading and supporting successful traffic and customer acquisition strategies at Time Out will be invaluable as we seek to advance our paid activity and connect with more consumers than ever before,” he added.

At Time Out, Paul played a pivotal role in the strategy to move Time Out into the e-commerce space as well as managing its affiliate partnerships in the travel market. Prior to that role, he spent almost four years in PPC roles at travel booking website lastminute.com.

Paul said: “The Lead Agency has all the tools and the right people in place to be the dominant force in lead generation – not only in the UK or its existing markets but on a global scale. I was particularly impressed by the team’s ability to execute quickly and this is something I’m looking forward to building on to deliver maximum efficiency for our clients.”

Are you ready for a new opportunity? Take a look at our full list of vacancies.

New starters join TLA’s London team

Following our recent growth in Liverpool, we’re delighted to announce two new arrivals in our London office.

TLA London — Frankie (left) and Irina (right) join the team.

Frankie Sartori has joined the business as head of sales for our higher education business The Study Network.

She joins from global education media provider TES, where she managed media agency partnerships. Her remit at The Study Network will be to build relationships with universities, other higher education providers and publishing partners.

Our CEO Anton Hanley said: “Frankie is an important addition to The Study Network team. Her experience and contacts will be a great asset as we look to grow the brand and forge new partnerships within the industry.”

Joining Frankie in London is account manager Irina Ashakhanova, who joins us straight off the back of graduating her English Literature degree from Bristol University.

Irina will be working on the automotive team, helping to manage relationships with car manufacturers and their agency partners.

We are recruiting for a number of digital jobs in London as well as our head office in Liverpool. Check out our latest vacancies.

Five new arrivals for the TLA development team

We have welcomed five new additions to the TLA development team.

Stephen Donaghy (technical team lead), Lehasa Moloi and Geraint Taylor (both senior developers), Joshua Duxbury (developer) and James Van Den Houdt (junior developer) have arrived to strengthen our programming department.

Stephen has made the move from Amaze, Lehasa from GB Group and Geraint from Redrow Homes. Meanwhile, Joshua has joined us rom Scan Computers and James has made the switch from Carfinance247.

developer jobs Liverpool — New teammates (From left to right): James, Lehasa, Geraint, Stephen and Joshua.

Identifying the right people

“We’ve been working hard to identify and recruit the right people to help us take the business forward and believe we’ve made five exceptional additions to our development team,” said Ed Clark, our chief technology officer.

“The experience they have earned at respected digital agencies, specialist software companies and in-house development teams will help us to enhance our proprietary platforms and websites as well as explore new technologies to create opportunities for consumers and companies to connect.”

We’re hiring for a number of digital and tech positions across the business. Check out our latest vacancies.

Life in tech – Michael Fitzsimmons, head of talent

Next up in our Life in Tech series is Michael Fitzsimmons, our recently appointed head of talent. Michael made the move from a Manchester-based digital recruitment specialist to The Lead Agency last month and is already enjoying life on the 13^th floor.

Tell us about your role and what you’ve been appointed to do at The Lead Agency…

I’ve been appointed as head of talent. My job is to manage all recruitment in to the business across our Liverpool HQ, London and New York offices. My objective is to recruit all new hires internally, build a recruitment philosophy and implement a recruitment procedure that is followed for each new hire.

What do you think is The Lead Agency’s biggest appeal for potential recruits?

A major reason for me was the potential growth and career opportunities the company could provide. Meeting my colleagues and seeing the fantastic working environment only convinced me further that this was the place for my future. Has anyone else got a better view in Liverpool?

What roles are you recruiting for?

I’m focused on digital roles covering development, design/UX and digital marketing.

What are your immediate priorities?

Like anyone joining a new organisation, I’m learning about the business, how it operates, its processes, its past and future goals. I’m getting to know each of the teams and actively pursuing the best talent to help us fulfil our mission.

What advice would you offer potential candidates?

I would advise people to come to an interview properly prepared, be confident and have good reasons why you want to join The Lead Agency. We are looking for ambitious and driven candidates so make sure you display these qualities when you speak to us.

What do you think Liverpool has to offer people planning a career in digital or tech?

Liverpool’s digital influence is growing and hubs in the Business District and Baltic Triangle are spurring on this growth. You can find tech companies like The Lead Agency who are ready to invest in talent and promote career development. Liverpool is also a great city to live and socialise in with lots of entertainment to keep you busy outside of the office!

What are you passionate about?

Having worked in recruitment for nine years, I am passionate about my industry. I still get a buzz out of finding people a new job. I think what I am most passionate about and what keeps me interested is the interaction I have with people. I enjoy the social and psychology aspect of the job. I think some are too quick to describe themselves as a ‘people person’; however, I do truly believe I am and it helps me build and manage relationships which results in making good hires.

What type of attributes are you looking for in candidates?

When you are looking for attributes in a candidate there are many that you are hoping to see. If I had to pick five, I would choose – integrity, ambition, drive, creativity and hard-working.

Ready for a move? Check out our latest digital jobs.

TLA makes head of talent appointment

As you may have noticed from our recent posts and social media activity, this is an exciting period of growth for the agency.

We are recruiting heavily in Liverpool and London and expect to extend our team further over the coming months.

To fulfil our long-term aspirations, we’ve appointed our very own head of talent with the arrival of Michael Fitzsimmons from Manchester-based company Jambo. He is tasked with leading the agency’s in-house recruitment, covering roles across digital marketing, .net development, design and beyond.

He brings with him a wealth of experience in digital recruitment, hiring for roles in Manchester, Liverpool and London over the last few years. He’ll work with each of our department heads as well as the board of directors to identify the right people to enhance our offering.

Strengthening the team

Commenting on the opportunity, Michael said: “I was immediately struck by the ambition and plans of the company. The Lead Agency has earned a reputation for providing an exceptional level of service for its clients, which is a testament to the quality of the team in place. I’m excited by the challenge of strengthening that team with people who have something special to offer and who are a great fit for the culture of the agency.”

In addition to Michael, we are delighted to welcome Sabina Charles to the TLA team to take on the role of executive assistant to our board of directors. Sabina has held a number of similar roles and will play an important role in supporting the smooth running of the business as we continue to grow.

If you’d like to be part of our team, head over to the TLA careers page.

TLA appoints John Martin as head of renewables

John Martin has joined the agency as head of renewables as we look to extend its presence in the fast-growing sector.

John arrives from SolarKing UK, where he held the role of head of marketing and managed the company’s direct sales strategy. His knowledge of the industry and his passion for renewable/clean energy means we are well placed to maximise future technical developments in the field. His remit at TLA will be to develop and grow our renewable energy division and develop strategies that help homeowners in their search.

Renewable growth

The renewable energy sector has enjoyed consistent expansion in the UK & Europe with the UK currently ontrack to meet its Renewable Energy Directive (RED) target of 15% of energy being renewable by 2020. However, the buying process for renewable solutions remains unknown and in some cases confusing to consumers.

John will be focused on bring clarity, education and inspiration to homeowners keen to embark on that journey, while keeping a close eye on innovation in the field.

“I believe renewable energy represents significant potential for growth in the coming years,” John said. “I am excited about the prospect of combining my experience and market knowledge with The Lead Agency’s cutting edge technology and talent to elevate customer acquisition in this sector.”

To speak with John about your customer acquisition needs, drop us a line.

Tom White joins TLA as automotive MD

With an exceptional pedigree for product innovation and commercial success, we are delighted to welcome Tom White to the business as managing director of automotive.

Tom is the former head of product development for Auto Trader and, more recently, product director for Time Out Group.

During his six-plus years with Auto Trader, Tom was responsible for setting a strategic consumer product roadmap that delivered genuine innovation, leading to increases in revenue and profitability.

It was also during this time that Tom first worked with TLA. Our landmark collaboration spearheaded Auto Trader’s successful expansion into the lucrative new vehicle market.

In 2013, Tom left Auto Trader for Time Out. In his three years with the group, he brought the global product to vision to life across various digital platforms. His processes helped the business adopt a digital- and mobile-first mind-set, which led to a significant upturn in revenues.

In reuniting with TLA, Tom will set the strategic direction for our automotive service; developing core products, building relationships with advertisers and driving growth across new markets and territories.

Commenting on his arrival, Tom said: “The company’s commitment to fairness and quality coupled with its ability to innovate and drive change has established TLA as the UK’s leading supplier of customer acquisition opportunities within automotive. I’m excited by the prospect of building on that success in the same tradition.”

‘Genuine innovation’

Anton Hanley, managing director of TLA, added: “Tom has a phenomenal record for creating business and product strategies that lead to lasting change and considerable commercial success. His ability to lead teams towards genuine innovation will be instrumental in how we develop and grow our automotive service.”

We create quality-driven customer acquisition strategies for some of the world’s biggest automotive brands, including BMW, Audi, Mini, Volvo and Jaguar.

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