Avusa makes key appointments

 Continuing to grow  within the digital media arena, Avusa Media LIVE (AML) – which attributes the majority of its popularity to news portals Times LIVE, Sowetan LIVE as well as Business LIVE – has recently welcomed key promotions and appointments within the ranks of its senior management.
Elan Lohmann, formerly General Manager (GM) of AML, has been promoted to Managing Director of Avusa Group Digital: a move that will both strengthen the group’s digital strategy as well as position it firmly as a market leader in the South African digital arena. Although his new role sees him focusing more on the overall success of the group’s digital division, which includes businesses such as , Lohmann will continue to drive both publishing trade and consumer strategies together with the AML team.

Specialising in business communication and digital implementation, Derek Abdinor now heads up AML as its GM. With over a decade’s experience in digital media, Abdinor has extensive management experience and was integral in the development of Avusa Media’s group-buying website Zappon.

The new appointment of Marc Hershowitz to lead the commercial operations of AML is a further indication of the group’s strategic drive to ensure its leading standing in the digital landscape. Hershowitz, formerly Business Development Manager of MediaMind Africa (previously Eyeblaster) and most recently Key Accounts Manager at The SpaceStation, brings with him a wealth of managerial experience in the digital as well as online media spaces.

Rohenie Naidu joins the AML sales team as its Sales Account Manager. Naidu, brings to the table over 10 years’ of sales and digital media strategy experience most recently at Habari Media.
Shana Kay has been appointed Senior Business Analyst at AML. Her experience in co-founding two IT businesses, namely Maxxor and Infointeg, makes her well-suited in her new role. Kay will be responsible for evaluating and creating business processes across all functional areas, facilitating and leading workshops for new products and projects as well as liaising with all business units to gather requirements for new interventions.

With an eye to growing the division’s trade relationships and communications strategies, newly-appointed Laetitia van Rensburg joins AML as its Trade Marketing Manager. Working in synergy with the commercial and marketing team, Van Rensburg – who has a strong background in digital marketing, project management, campaign and sales operations – will focus on marketing strategies that help raise the profile of the division’s assets to the trade media.

Due to its considerable growth since inception in March this year, Brent de Beer – an online marketing and sales specialist – has been appointed as Sales Manager for group-buying website Zappon. He’ll also be responsible for creating online sales opportunities to the SME market across all of AML’s online platforms. De Beer brings with him over 15 years’ experience in both the digital publishing and online marketing spheres at senior level.

“We’re excited about the positive energy and impetus these new appointments will bring to the AML team and to the Avusa Group Digital structure as a whole,” concludes Lohmann. “They are all key players in the vision AML has to further drive and increase the market leading position its websites currently hold within the black market. The future is looking bright.”



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