New 2D creative director at Green Room

BIRMINGHAM-based retail and digital design practice Green Room has appointed Paul Mynard to the newly created role of 2D creative director.

Formerly Fitch’s creative director for South East Asia and Greater China, Mynard has returned to the UK to take up the new role. He will work alongside 3D creative director Mike Roberts, also a Fitch alumni, in delivering highly creative and commercially minded retail and digital design projects for Green Room’s international client base.

Mynard has more than 20 years’ experience, having spent 13 years in Singapore with Fitch and stints with Enterprise IG (now Brand Union) and The Partners in London. His expertise is in directing brand programmes that cover identity, brand communications, retail environments and digital. He has worked with clients such as Apple, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Diageo, HP, Nokia, P&G, Philips and Visa International.

His arrival follows the appointment of Steve Pearce as Green Room’s first managing director and a period of new developments for the 12-year-old business. The company has enjoyed double-digit growth this year, as well as delivering projects in overseas markets including Europe, America, Australia and the Middle East, whilst expanding its capabilities to include digital design and delivery expertise, and opening an office in Amsterdam.
 
Recent client wins include global consumer brands such as The North Face, British Gas, Bowers & Wilkins, Timberland, Shoe Citi, Luxottica, Orange, Neal’s Yard Remedies and Merlin Entertainments, while continuing projects for long-standing clients including Nike.

Pearce said: “Attracting talent of Paul’s calibre is a key part of our growth strategy and his arrival is a real coup for us. Paul’s creative back catalogue speaks for itself and his international experience will be especially valuable as we continue to service a growing portfolio of overseas contracts.”

Former National Express FD jumps on board at Guestline

SHROPSHIRE-based Guestline, which supplies software solutions to the global hospitality industry, has appointed Andrew Galloway to the role of Finance Director.

Galloway, left, who was previously FD of the UK Bus business at Birmingham-based National Express, has joined the company to head its Global Finance Operation.

Phil Davidson, Managing Director at Guestline said: “Guestline has seen tremendous growth since it was founded in 1991, we are delighted Andrew has joined to see us through our next stage of development and help execute some very exciting plans.”

Guestline, based in Shrewsbury, supplies software technology that enables hotel groups and independents of all sizes to achieve maximum occupancy at the most profitable rate.

The cloud-based property management software is currently being operated by businesses in 10 countries across four continents; with new Guestline offices set to open as it continues its international expansion.

Bunch of new recruits at Top Banana

A GLOBAL events company based in Stourbridge has taken on a bunch of new employees as part of an ongoing expansion.

Top Banana, which specialises in international leadership events, has also recruited two interns who will be based in their Broome office for 12 months as part of their university course placements.

The new recruits will work with a range of big name clients, including Bacardi, Danone Baby Nutrition, Wilkinsons, Aggregate Industries and Bentley.

Tony Monger has joined the firm as an account director, with Cat Butler (account manager) and Megan Grant (account executive).

Monger previously spent more than a decade working for Opus (part of Rapiergroup) where his clients included BUPA, Shell, Audi and Nestle. Ms Butler has joined from events company Grass Roots and Miss Grant from L’Oreal UK.

Martha McGarry has taken on the role of middleweight designer and Marcus Marritt has joined as studio manager.

Marritt previously worked for the agency Strategy, Design and Advertising in New Zealand.  Miss McGarry was working as a freelance designer before she joined the firm.

Interns Alex Hatton, studying Events Management at Bournemouth University, and April Summerscales, studying Events Management at Sheffield Hallam University, will be working as a production assistant and a venue finding assistant respectively.

Nick Terry, managing director, left, said: “Despite the economic challenges facing the events industry we’ve experienced exceptional growth over the past year and these new recruits are testament to that.”

Top Banana expects turnover to increase by 36% this year to £5.2m.

“With the addition of all these new team members we hope to continue expanding our client base and offering engaging senior management events in locations all over the world,” added Terry.