Communisis hands Psona CEO job to Simon Marshall

Simon Marshall, one of direct marketing agency-land’s most experienced senior executives, is understood to have been drafted in as the new chief executive of Communisis-owned business Psona, as the agency seeks to raise its profile.
Marshall’s most recent job was as CEO of HeyHuman – the agency which rebranded from Billington Cartmell in March 2014 – but he left in May this year after 18 months in the role.
Prior to that Marshall spent nearly three years heading up the Marketing Store’s operations in the US and Canada, having run the UK business since 2007.
The former British Army captain has plied his trade at many of the top DM agencies including Carlson, GGT Direct and OgilvyOne before being appointed chief executive of Publicis Dialog (now Publicis Chemistry) in 2000, where he worked closely with creative director Mike Cavers. The duo ended up working together again when they joined the Marketing Store.
At Psona, it is understood Marshall will succeed Malcolm Cotton, who has left to pursue new opportunities. Cotton has been group CEO since 2013, joining from Publicis Chemistry, where he was executive planning director. Cotton had joined Chemistry in 2006 when the then independent business bought his company, Worth Communications.
Psona was created in December last year through the merger of Communisis’ acquisitions. Businesses in the group include DM agencies Geronimo and The Communications Agency, as well as digital firm Public Creative, film production agency Jacaranda and social media shop Yomego.
In the summer, Psona hired VCCP me creative partner Jamie Bell as executive creative director; its clients include RBS, NatWest, Vodafone, Dulux and Vue Cinemas.