As it steps up its campaign to convince the nation that behavioural targeting isn't such a bad thing, still-to-be-deployed ISP-based ad outfit Phorm has made two senior appointments. Sarah Simon comes in as financial and strategic development officer, joining from Morgan Stanley, while former digital general manager at Telegraph Media Group Mike Moore joins as global commercial director.
Simon spent 15 years as a managing director in Morgan Stanley's European equity research department and will be responsible for all investor, analyst shareholder relationships. Moore, who starts on 1 April, left last October after nearly two years as part of a restructure. The company says his role will be "managing the fast-growing commercial opportunities for Phorm's technology as it is deployed globally." Phorm has already said it has spoken with ISPs outside the UK about its technology.
That shows some real confidence: despite trials with BT, Phorm has yet go live in the UK, let alone globally. Chief exectuive Kent Ertugrul recently said Phorm's Open Internet Exchange will "definitely be online by the end of the year", but perhaps the company's European and US plans are further advanced then previously thought. The appointments follow a busy six months for Phorm's HR department: UK CEO Hugo Drayton left in December along with chief financial officer Lynne Millar and general counsel David Pester, which followed four board members walking out weeks earlier.
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