In this new senior role, Roles' remit will span JCDecaux's portfolio and he will be charged with developing new business and keeping advertisers and brands aware of the changing opportunities in outdoor.
He will lead a team of four, including business development director Isabel Howett and three new recruits. He will report to Spencer Berwin, managing director, sales, JCDecaux.
As head of client development at News International, Roles set up and ran a team working across The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and, latterly, the News of the World, from 2007.
After starting his career at agencies including BBJ (now Vizeum), Saatchi & Saatchi, Universal McCann and OMD, Roles joined NI as head of brand marketing for The Times and The Sunday Times in 2004.
Berwin said: "It is great to have James on board at this key time for outdoor. His expertise will be crucial in helping clients to maximise their outdoor investment and access the best sites.
"His breadth of experience will be invaluable as digital outdoor continues to expand and clients increasingly look to outdoor to provide new ways to engage with their audiences."
Roles will start at JCDecaux in early February. He said: "I'm very excited about the opportunity to work at JCDecaux at a time when the medium is undergoing rapid change, thanks to the investment in new formats and technologies.
"I’m looking forward to working with clients in this dynamic sector and to helping grow JCDecaux's business."
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