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FMBX News
Posted: Nov 23, 2011
TRO restructures leadership team
Experiential agency TRO has announced a major Board restructure, which sees the appointment of a new Managing Director and the creation of strategic international roles for the company’s most senior executives.
Current Board Director Michael Wyrley-Birch, becomes TRO’s new Managing Director with effect from 1 December, and will be joined on the company’s newly-constituted Board by Client Service Directors Nick Burrows and Sian Bates; also Creative Services Director, Peter Trapnell and Operations Director Gary Wootton. Tom Gentle, one of TRO’s founding directors, will also remain on the Board as Client Service Director. Gary Nurse continues as Finance Director.
The new framework enables TRO’s existing Managing Director Keith O’Loughlin to take up the role of Chief Executive of TRO Group, while current Chief Executive Rob Allen will become Executive Chairman of TRO Group.
Rob Allen said: “TRO joined sales development agency CPM UK three years ago, a dynamic move which has given us access to new business opportunities, additional talent and an international presence. All of which create the perfect launch-pad for our next stage of development.
“The existing model of five ‘founding’ shareholding directors fulfilled its job brilliantly when we were confined to two operating bases, with a sphere of operation that was almost exclusively UK-based. But since our alignment with CPM in 2008, and our absorption of CPM’s own experiential business, Exentio, we have added a Manchester office and additional operating bases in East Anglia. At the same time, we have progressively taken on more European work. At the beginning of 2011 we established our first European base with the opening of a German office.
“With these and future opportunities on the horizon, it has become clear that we need to strengthen our infrastructure and prepare for further international expansion.”
TRO’s new Board members are each experienced in key areas of the company’s business to reflect its creative and operational strengths.
Added Allen: “Keith O’Loughlin and I are delighted to entrust the running of the business to such expert hands, allowing us to take on more international-facing responsibilities in the development of TRO.
The company forecasts to complete 2011 with a turnover of £25m. TRO was ranked top of Marketing magazine’s annual Experiential Agency League Table, which positions agencies in order of turnover. This provided independent confirmation that that TRO is now the UK’s largest experiential agency.
Photo caption: Members of the new TRO Board
Top row (l-r): Gary Wootton, Operations Director; Peter Trapnell, Creative Services Director; Tom Gentle, Client Service Director; Michael Wyrley-Birch, Managing Director.
Bottom row (l-r): Nick Burrows, Client Service Director; Sian Bates, Client Service Director; Rob Allen, Executive Chairman; Keith O’Loughlin, Chief Executive.
