UBS announces several changes to its branding and marketing team as its chief marketing officer departs.
John McDonald becomes the new group chief marketing officer (Group CMO) and head of brand management for UBS, effective January 2023, replacing Johan Jervøe who informed the firm he is leaving at the end of December, McDonald also becomes a member of the communications and branding (C&B) Management Team, UBS said in an emailed statement Thursday.
He will report to Marsha Askins, the group head of communications & branding at the bank.
Johan Jervøe was involved for nearly a decade in developing and positioning the UBS, including the 2015 re-launch of our brand, and the creation, and activation of multiple UBS brand campaigns over the years such as «Life’s Questions.»
McDonald takes over in January from Jervøe and becomes a member of the C&B Management Team. In addition, as Group CMO, he will chair the UBS marketing management forum, with the divisional marketing heads having an additional reporting line into him. He brings experience from various leadership roles, most recently at Mastercard and before that at United Airlines, British Airways, and Cisco, among others. At Mastercard, he was responsible for global brand strategy, design, advertising, and digital marketing capabilities for the past three years.
He currently lives in New York and will move to Switzerland in 2023.
Another Changing of the Guard
As previously announced, external communications head Mark Hengel is retiring from UBS early next year after 22 years and stays on until June to ensure a smooth transition.
Michael Spiess succeeds Hengel in January, reporting to the new head of corporate communications Jay Frame who also joins in January. Spiess comes from HSBC where he was most recently global head of media relations for the firm’s private banking unit, as well as head of communications for Switzerland. In these roles, he oversaw external communications strategy, issues management, financial communications, PR campaigns, thought leadership initiatives, and social media. Before joining HSBC in 2014, Michael held various communications and consultancy roles at the United Nations.
New Operating Model
Earlier this year UBS conducted a strategic review of its marketing and communication platforms and is launching a new operating model in partnership with the chief digital and information office (CDIO). The technology development and platform management for C&B technology platforms will move into the CDIO, with product ownership of the platforms and apps remaining within the respective C&B Marketing Platforms and Operating Office teams.
