±±¾©Èü³µpk10

Prudential, the life and pensions provider, has hired former

Safeway marketing chief Roger Ramsden to be its UK marketing

director.

Ramsden, most recently format director at Safeway, takes up his post at

the end of the month. He reports to Mark Wood, chief executive of

Prudential UK and Europe.

His role has been created by Wood following a companywide restructuring

that saw the departure of Prudential Financial Services marketing

director, Sean Tompkins.

Ramsden's brief is to oversee the brand's multiple distribution

channels, including consumer and business to business. He also has

responsibility for marketing and integrating Prudential's intermediary

business, which includes Scottish Amicable. Tim Shields left in the

restructure earlier this year when his role as Scottish Amicable

marketing director was axed.

Prudential was once well known for its 'Man from the Pru' advertising

starring then chief executive Sir Peter Davis, but its marketing

activity in recent years has been predominantly below the line. Its main

above-the-line account is held by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, but has

recently been dormant.

In June Prudential awarded a £4m ad account and a DRTV brief to

through-the-line agency Inferno. It split its £40m below-the-line

account between three agencies, TBWA/GGT Direct, Craik Jones Watson

Mitchell Voekel and IMP in July. The company claimed it is too early to

say whether agencies will be affected by Ramsden's appointment.

Ramsden joined Safeway in 1995 as brand director and climbed to

marketing director in 1999. After less than a year he moved to a

non-marketing role following a 'back to the floor' initiative where he

worked at store level to sharpen his retail knowledge.