Virgin Media O2 director of brand and marketing Rachel Swift has fallen victim to a major shake-up at the mobile giant, following the consolidation of the commercial and data operations into a single consumer unit, designed to create a “simpler, faster, and focused” corporate structure.
Swift returned to the company in September 2024 from Tesco Mobile to succeed Simon Groves, who left after nearly 25 years with O2; she had been brand and creative director from 2017 to 2020.
Prior to that, Swift held two head of marketing roles at John Lewis, initially for fashion and beauty and then brand. She also spent eight years at Marks & Spencer.
Over the past two years, Swift led a number of high-profile marketing initiatives, including the “Essential for Living” brand platform.
Head of ad sales and operations Gareth Vaughan Jones has also left the business as part of the structural change.
The new consumer unit is now led by Lyssa McGowan, who joined the company’s executive committee as consumer CEO, reporting directly to CEO Lutz Schüler.
On LinkedIn, Telefonica director of brand, sponsorships and media Rafael Fernández de Alarcón said: “The best brand leaders don’t simply manage a brand. They leave it stronger than they found it. And that is exactly what Rachel Swift has done at Virgin Media O2 for our O2 brand.
“Over the past years, Rachel has helped to take one of Britain’s most iconic brands back to its essence – while making it more relevant for the future. ‘Essential for Living’ reconnects O2 with its origins and with the role technology plays in the things that really matter in people’s lives.”
Swift responded: “It has been an honour and a privilege to work alongside you Rafa, Carlos and the Telefonica family and to be the custodian of an incredibly powerful, world famous brand. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together, with my team. Thank you.”
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