Pitch Marketing Group has appointed Ian Priest, co-founder of VCCP, as non-executive Chairman, it was announced today.
Priest’s appointment follows the recent rebranding of Pitch Marketing Group as a creative
marketing agency with a broader offering and diversity of clients. The independent agency
has three specialist divisions across PR, Sponsorship and Content Production, delivering
integrated solutions for brands, rights holders and media clients. Priest’s role will be to
work with Pitch’s Senior Management team, led by CEO Henry Chappell, to implement the
strategic business progression from sports and entertainment marketing into the creation
of mainstream consumer campaigns.
Priest is a widely respected figure in the UK marketing industry. Priest is currently Chief
Executive of Grace Blue, the global marketing executive search firm. He co-founded the
hugely successful integrated communications agency, VCCP, in 2002, which was acquired
by Chime Communications in 2005 when he was made an Executive Board member and
worked across the group including Chime Sports Marketing division CSM. Priest was also
President of the industry body, IPA, from 2013-2015.
Henry Chappell, Founder and Chief Executive of Pitch Marketing Group, said: “We are
absolutely delighted to have someone of Ian’s reputation and experience join us as nonexecutive
Chairman. We believe that he will greatly help us to develop our proposition as
an integrated marketing agency, particularly in regards to wider consumer work beyond
sport & entertainment. We are very much looking forward to his positive contribution to
the next stage of growth for Pitch, both commercially and culturally.”
Ian Priest said: “I am delighted to be working with Henry and his leadership team to
build on their impressive sports marketing heritage and help develop broader skills and
perspectives across the marketing services spectrum”.
Pitch Marketing Group, which was formed in 2002, has earned a market-leading industry
reputation as a result of its award-winning work for high-profile clients, including brands
such as Asics, Beats, Betfair, BT, Channel 4, Diageo, NBA, Red Bull, and TAG Heuer,
amongst others.
The appointment of Priest follows a hugely successful year for the multi award-winning
agency; having received industry recognition in the form of a D&AD Pencil, a Sport
Industry Award, a PR Week Award, a CIPR award and a shortlisted entry at Cannes Lions
Festival.
