Former Ubisoft UK marketing boss is one of three new faces added to Sony’s senior team Moravek returns to THQ Cook joins VG247 Premier PR expands
SCE UK l MURRAY PANNELL has been named as the new SCE UK marketing director. Pannell (far left) departed Ubisoft earlier this month and replaces ALAN DUNCAN. Former employers
throughout Pannell’s 11-year-long games career include EA and Microsoft. He’s just one of three new hires appointed by SCE UK and Ireland chief FERGAL GARA to ‘lead the business to the next level’. ALEX COULTATE (above, middle) has been named commercial director for UK and Ireland. He joins from Universal Pictures where he was head of sales. He had previously served as DVD and video buying manager for Asda. Elsewhere, former senior commercial manager for mobile at Virgin Media NICK DICKINSON (above, right) assumes a new role, head of business development. Current Sony faces ROBIN PHILLIPS and DAVID CONSIDINE become head of sales for the UK and Ireland respectively. The rest of UK and Ireland MD Fergal Gara’s new team is comprised of UK
marketing manager MARK BOWLES, Irish marketing director MAREA GRAY, head of UK trade marketing ROSE BUAHIN and PR boss DAVID WILSON.
THQ l RON MORAVEK has returned to THQ, taking the role of executive vice president of production. Moravek will work directly with new THQ president JASON
RUBIN as part of a move to embrace new business models. Moravek co-founded and was COO of Relic. He left in 2006, two years after the company was acquired by THQ.
VG247 l DAVE COOK has been appointed UK news editor. Cook previously worked at Imagine’s NowGameras games
editor. He joins editor PATRICK GARRATT, US news editor STEPHANY NUNNELEYand Australian news editor BRENNA HILLIER. Garratt told MCV: “We’re extremely pleased about his
appointment. He’s a multiple GMA-winner and very well-known in the UK trade, so we see this as a key hire. VG247’s growing quickly, and I think this move particularly will push the site forward.” Cook won Best Regional Columnist at the Games Media Awards in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
PREMIER PR l The company has welcomed a new assistant publicist, KELSEY CHRISTOU to its games team. LAURENCE BRAY, senior account director at the PR agency said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Kelsey to the team. Kelsey joining us makes Premier the largest gaming PR team in the industry and with her enthusiasm she has a bright future in PR.”
Christou previously worked as a presenter for community video game blogs. She also runs a make-up focused YouTube channel where she talks about the latest beauty products.