MediaCity-based B2B marketing agency Upp B2B has appointed Bart Maginn to the newly created role of growth & innovation director, alongside the appointment Selina McGowan as senior account manager.
Maginn brings more than 15 years’ experience in B2B marketing, having spearheaded growth and innovation at prominent agencies across the North West and London. He joins from Manchester-based communications agency Petal & Co, where he led the agency’s rebrand and development of its offering, including an expansion of its content and AI services. Before that, he was B2B business director at Tangerine Communications, where he drove the growth of the agency’s B2B division and delivery of award-winning, cutting-edge client campaigns.
In his new role, he will lead the continued development and positioning of Upp B2B’s market offering, with a particular focus on embedding AI capabilities and expertise across the agency’s processes. He will also play a key role in driving both new service development and organic growth.
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The appointment follows a year of significant investment at Upp B2B, including the development of its B2B AI Playground, a platform designed to help B2B marketers build their AI knowledge and explore how emerging technology can create practical competitive advantage. The continued development of that platform will be a central component to the agency’s AI plans.
Meanwhile, McGowan joins Upp B2B from Harrison Carloss, having also previously worked at Lesniak Swann. As senior account manager, she will play a key role in strengthening client relationships, supporting the delivery of integrated B2B campaigns and identifying opportunities to help clients build their brand to drive growth. Her appointment further strengthens Upp B2B’s client services team as the agency continues to expand its client portfolio.
Michael Clark, managing director at Upp B2B, said: “We’ve built an ambitious, inventive culture here at Upp B2B, centred around Powerful Creative Thinking made for the B2B sector. Maintaining that means attracting the very best people.
“Bart has a strong track record of delivering transformation and growth at some highly respected agencies and he’s exactly the right person to take our sector innovation to the next level and help us redefine what’s possible for our clients. Selina also brings brilliant B2B agency experience and a really strong client services mindset. We knew straight away on meeting her that she’ll make a real difference to both our clients and the wider team. Together they strengthen our team at an important moment for the business.”
Maginn added: “It’s an exciting time to join Upp B2B. There’s a huge amount of momentum in the business and a strong reputation in the B2B market and I’m looking forward to helping build on that.
“Our goal is to invest in innovation in ways that strengthen our team’s creativity and the services we deliver, without losing sight of the fact that intelligent human thinking is what creates real differentiation. Just as importantly, we want that innovation to be built around the specific challenges of B2B. All too often new marketing technology is designed with consumer brands in mind. We want to develop creative solutions and innovation that genuinely work across all B2B markets to drive growth, even in difficult economic times.”
Upp B2B’s clients include CHEP, DHL Supply Chain, Informa, Collinson, LexisNexis, Elsevier, Marshalls, Pallet-Track, Zenith, and Help to Grow: Management.
