Istoria Group appoints new Chief Commercial Officer
(UK) – Bristol-based creative SME Istoria Group has appointed Mark Eddy as its new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) with immediate effect.
Mark joins Istoria Group from live events giant GES, where he was CCO, leading a commercial team of 80 people across the EMEA, Australian, South African and Far East regions and helping to deliver experiential marketing projects in over 45 individual industry sectors. Mark’s new role for Istoria Group will be to identify, develop and deliver the company’s annual strategies and to bring its great story of creative success and pioneering sustainability to a wider commercial audience. Mark will also be CCO of Istoria Group’s individual creative businesses, which include exhibitions, events and experiences agency Ignition and retail and hospitality designers Phoenix Wharf, as part of his group-wide remit for sales and operations.
“We are delighted with the new appointment” says Sam Rowe, CEO of Istoria Group. “Mark is a highly-experienced and informed board-level executive, with a great track record in delivering strategic business growth. Culturally, we believe he will be a great fit with our purpose-driven, ethical mission and our focus on ‘people, planet and profit’, including our drive to make the creative sector more sustainable by offering a wide range of innovative and bespoke outcomes.”
“I’ve known about Istoria Group for a long time” Mark Eddy comments, “and have watched its growth and growing stature with interest. My ambitions are to be a champion for the Group’s great story and to amplify it to a much wider audience, both by sector and geography, bringing the good news to those clients in particular who understand the benefits of working with a purpose-driven, game-changing company. I’m a big believer in the WHY in business – and Istoria Group has reasons why written all through its DNA.”
Prior to joining Istoria Group, Eddy worked in senior positions at GES (Global Experience Specialists) for 13 years, the last seven years as CCO. Before that he was the MD of Melville Teamworks, a division of GES and also Head of Business Development for Service Exhibitions (part of St Ives plc), after starting his events industry career in the late 90s with Silver Knight Exhibitions, part of MICE Group, where he also first met and worked alongside future Istoria Group Founder and Chairwoman Claire Menzies. Eddy cites his superb track record as being down to his desire to ‘unite international sales teams through thought leadership, shared values, passion and purpose in delivering each compelling experience.’ His vast experience covers almost every major industry sector, from aerospace, aviation, automotive and apparel to telecommunications, food and packaging.
One of Eddy’s major focus areas will be Istoria Group’s largest creative company Ignition, which has created a strong reputation for its pioneering sustainable approach and strong ethical corporate personality. This includes a focus on quality (with three ISO standards to its name), people management skills (with awards including ‘Best Employer’ at the EN Elite Awards and being part of the ‘UK’s Best Workplaces’) and a ‘people, planet and profit’ focus on sustainability, recognised in 2020 both with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development and being named Sustainable Organisation of the Year at the IEMA Sustainability Awards.
“Mark’s good name in the industry – with profile testimonials from former colleagues focusing on his ability to blend ‘superb people skills with rigorous business acumen’, his ‘leadership ability’ and his ‘highly ethical and scrupulously fair’ business attitude – ensures he will be another great addition to the senior management team at Istoria Group” Sam Rowe concludes. “We expect great things!”
