A prominent marketer in the consumer healthcare industry, Ed Round has joined Cornerstone Design and Marketing in the newly created role of strategic and operations director.
Round joins the Oldham-based, full-service agency after 23 years at healthcare manufacturer Thornton & Ross / STADA UK, where he was director of OTC (over-the-counter medicines) and Business Development for the past four-and-a-half years.
His appointment marks a ‘full circle of life’ relationship with Cornerstone’s founder and MD David Wadsworth, who first worked for Round, then a senior product manager, as a marketing undergraduate intern 20 years ago.
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Round explained: “David was working for a very senior manager in the company, but I needed some extra resource and fortunately for me, and perhaps for him, some of his time was ‘given’ to me to set him to work.
“He excelled at everything he did. I kept pushing him and he kept producing. It was obvious he was destined for success at whatever he did.”
The pair kept in touch after Wadsworth went on to achieve a first-class honours degree from the University of Huddersfield, with Wadsworth seeking Round’s help and advice when he first launched Cornerstone DM 17 years ago.
They later collaborated for more than 10 years when Thornton & Ross became a Cornerstone client, before it became part of the global STADA group.
Round has been recruited to bolster Cornerstone’s strategic direction and business operations amid the agency’s record turnover and expanding client roster.
Wadsworth said: “We’ve consistently achieved over 30% year-on-year growth in recent years and that grew to 54% last year when turnover topped £3m. With even more new clients coming on board, and the team growing in numbers, I felt it was vital to get the kind of support, and the wealth of expertise and experience, that Ed brings, and I’m absolutely delighted he’s agreed to join us.
“I have a clear vision of where I want to take Cornerstone and having someone of Ed’s calibre supporting me and the team, is a big driver in helping us to get to where I want us to be.”
Before leading the OTC Hub at Thornton & Ross, Yorkshire-based Round worked as director of consumer marketing, marketing manager, healthcare category manager (key account sales manager) and group product manager, driving phenomenal growth for household name brands such as Covonia, Savlon, Care+ and Zoflora.
