Andy Gaitskell-Kendrick Email and Phone Number

Creating new entertainment propositions with sustainability and purpose at their core - entertainment as a force for good. Spectacular one off live shows, international festivals, TV formats, metaverse experiences and new streaming concepts, bringing together AAA talent, social media stars, global rights holders, brands, changemakers and Web 3 innovators.

Delivering impactful marketing strategies for established brands looking to reposition themselves or start ups looking to grow rapidly. Clients have included Vodafone Europe, for whom I repositioned the OneNumber service, music game Beat The Intro, ex-Nokia friends at Townbase on a B2B SAAS platform for the tourism market, sports data game Predictabl, creative agency Three Kings and the sustainability focussed brand, Urban Blossom.

Led marketing for Nokia Music / MixRadio through a spin out from Microsoft and the subsequent launch as an independent business operating across Android and iPhone platforms in 31 countries. Highlights included a host of top 10 app store rankings around the world, a partnership with Samsung India and a partnership with the United Nations on World Happiness Day that saw over a million unique streams on launch day.

Leading the creation and deployment of global marketing through the line campaigns and partnerships for X Series smartphones and entertainment services - Nokia Music, Nokia Reading, Nokia TV and mobile games.Significant international artist collaborations with Rihanna, Green Day, Deadmau5, Nile Rodgers and Priyanka Chopra and brand partners including AT&T, T-Mobile and America Movil.

Series of freelance roles expanding my knowledge and experience on digital and mobile marketing. Launched Virgin Digital (the first specialist legal music download service in the UK) with a major partnership integration with what is now Virgin Media. Launched Pitch, a cross platform social network born out of the growing mobile content sector. Developed mobile marketing division for Mobstar Media, via a third party relationship with WPP.

Unified brand and commercial marketing role accountable for retail sales and the long term strategic research, planning and business development agenda. During this time we grew the business both within the UK and internationally to a turnover in excess of $1 billion. Numerous industry awards including Music Retailer of the Year, Music Marketing Campaign of the Year and a D&AD award for the sectors first brand advertising campaign, Whatever Turns You On. Also critical to our success was a focus on the instore experience where I championed the role of artist appearances (Destiny's Child, David Bowie, Avril Lavigne and many more) and introduced new café concepts, listening technology and third party concessions.Working with the wider Virgin Group I also supported the launch of new Virgin brands, including Virgin Mobile and Virgin Money.

Specific deployment to lead an internal change program to re-invent the Virgin Megastores retail proposition.Result was a new format of megastore with increased focus on gaming, DVD and technology (alongside music) which delivered 20% + year on year growth.Personal responsibilities included leading a cross functional (HR, buying, merchandising, operations, shop fitting, design and marketing) and project communication.

After the merger between Our Price and Virgin, I switched brand to lead commercial marketing for Virgin Megastores.Significant achievements include:Establishing a category marketing structure to support games, DVD and specialist music sectors.The adoption of a formal rolling annual campaign calendar to drive footfall and revenues.An innovative multi year sponsorship deal with The Box TV, which saw a 5% increase in market share in the singles sector.Multiple music festival sponsorship and activation programs to boost youth profile.Highly complex Christmas campaigns, raising circa £10 million in contribution from the entertainment industry to boost solus expenditure.The adoption of a formal rolling annual campaign calendar.

Responsibility for commercial marketing output across 300 UK stores.

Joined the Head Office team, with specific responsibility for the retail campaign calendar and through the line marketing promotions. Significant achievements included launching The Power - a loyalty campaign and CRM platform rewarding high spending customers, a raft of third party promotions with partners such as Barclays Bank, KP and Bulmers Cider and two highly successful Christmas campaigns.

Sales assistant to management role within 12 months, followed by store manager roles across London.Successful in turning around under performing stores and increasing year on year turnover in flagship outlets by focussing on the local market opportunities.