Former Tesco and Havas EHS chief Matt Atkinson is joining the pipe and slippers brigade by signing up as chief marketing officer for over-50s holidays and financial services firm Saga.
The role, significantly different from leading the marketing department at the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, carries responsibility for branding and customer engagement across all of Saga’s digital, direct and e-commerce activities.
Atkinson will also overhaul the company’s data strategy; it currently has 2.7 million active customers and 10.6 million total contacts on its database.
He will sit on the executive committee, and report to former colleague ex-Tesco Mobile chief executive Lance Batchelor, who is group CEO.
Atkinson said: “Saga is an iconic British brand that I have long admired, so it is with a sense of both privilege and confidence that I take on this exciting role at such a critical time in the development of the brand.”
Having started his career agency side – he was head of integration at Saatchi & Saatchi, chief executive of Interfocus and managing director of Tequila and boss of Havas EHS (now Havas Helia) under its many guises – Atkinson took the plumb job of group marketing and digital officer at Tesco in June 2011.
He was promoted to chief marketing officer 18 months later, but the role was axed in December last year. However, he managed to hang on in there for months in a consultancy role. Atkinson joins Saga later this month.
Related stories
Atkinson axed in Tesco restructure
Atkinson shifted in Tesco revamp
Atkinson under threat in Tesco rejig
Atkinson handed Tesco CMO role
Tesco poaches Matt Atkinson
