Merkle hires Claire Billings to lead European marketing

Dentsu-owned data-driven marketing agency Merkle has appointed former Campaign journalist Claire Billings vice president of marketing for Europe as part of the company’s ambitious expansion strategy.
Billings who left Campaign in 2006, having been work editor and the DM reporter, joins from MEC, where she has been UK marketing director since 2015.
Prior to that she was the head of marketing and communications at Rapp, and has also worked at Publicis Chemistry.
In her new role, Billings will focus on supporting the growth of Merkle Europe by bringing a unified approach to marketing in the region. In the last 18 months, the company has grown rapidly to more than 850 people in six offices in two markets, with its acquisition of Periscopix, DBG, Comet, Aquila, and Divisadero.
Merkle Europe president Tim Berry said: “Claire’s wealth of experience and proven success as a marketing and communications leader make her a perfect fit for Merkle as it establishes itself as the authority in people-based marketing in the UK and European market.
“She will be a tremendous asset to these teams as we continue to expand our global footprint and leadership position in Europe.”
Billings added: “This is a great opportunity to help bring to market Merkle’s people-based marketing expertise. At a time when consumers expect brands to know who they are and what they want, Merkle enables companies to deliver addressability at scale through data, technology, and customer strategy.”