Former Synovate CEO Philpott to Lead Harte-Hanks

Robert Philpott, former Chief Exec of Synovate, is to join US-based direct marketing and targeting giant Harte-Hanks as President and CEO at the beginning of next month, replacing Larry Franklin who is retiring after more than 40 years with the firm.

Founded in 1923, Harte-Hanks helps clients gain insight into their customers' behavior from their data, and uses that insight to create multichannel marketing programs and shopper advertising opportunities for local, regional, national, and international consumer and B2B marketers.

Philpott (pictured) will hold the new position while remaining Global MD of UK-based mobile data collection specialist OnePoint Global, a role he began in March 2012. Prior to this, he spent fifteen years at Synovate, where he latterly served as Global CEO and previously worked as CEO of the firm's offices in the US, Canada and Latin America. He left the company in 2011, following Aegis Group's sale of Synovate to Ipsos. Earlier in his career, he worked at Asia Market Intelligence in Malaysia and Hong Kong (before the firm was taken over by Synovate), as MD of MRC Ireland (now Ipsos MORI Ireland), and at Irish Marketing Surveys in Belfast (now Millward Brown Ireland).

Commenting on his new role, Philpott said: 'I am genuinely excited to be joining Harte-Hanks and working with our expert teams as we lead the business in the next stage of its development. I expect to draw on my global leadership background as we further align and integrate our businesses to deliver a superior client experience.'

He will take over from Franklin, who is retiring after more than four decades with the company. Franklin will remain as a member of the Board of Directors for a period of time after his retirement, while Board member Christopher Harte will take on the role of Chairman of the Board.

Web site: www.harte-hanks.com .