Yell Creates New Role of Chief Consumer Officer

READING, UK, July 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Yell Group plc (LSE: YELL) today announced the appointment of Bob Gregerson to the new role of Chief Consumer Officer. Bob will head up the newly created Consumer Division, Yell Connect, which will be responsible for building Yell's new digital consumer business focused on the emerging local eMarketplace opportunity.

Bob has a substantial track record in managing and growing worldwide divisions for leading companies, with considerable experience in the launch, growth and transformation of direct sales and ecommerce initiatives.

Until November 2010, Bob was Vice President, Americas Sales at Cisco Consumer Products (Cisco), leading sales in the business's largest worldwide geography and responsible for the worldwide sales of the Linksys home networking brand.

Prior to Cisco, between May 2003 and May 2007, Bob was at Polaroid Corporation, latterly as President of Polaroid Imaging, providing worldwide leadership for Polaroid's core imaging business, including consumer and commercial solutions.

Before Polaroid, Bob was President of PC Connection Sales Corporation, a Fortune 1000 direct marketer of technology products and services, responsible for all its sales, marketing, logistics, operations and services for both consumer and commercial customers, with revenues of over $800 million.

Previously, Bob was Vice President North America Partner Sales and Marketing at Compaq Computer, responsible for all channel partners and with revenue responsibility exceeding $10 billion.

In his earlier career, Bob held a number of management and senior management roles in the high technology marketplace with leading industry businesses including Digital Equipment Corporation, Panasonic, Computer Associates and NCR.

Bob has a B.A. in Marketing from California State University.

Mike Pocock, Chief Executive Officer of Yell Group, said: "Yell has embarked on a strategy to take advantage of the very exciting opportunity created by the convergence between consumer and SME needs in the digital world. Bob's outstanding experience in the consumer sector means he has the essential qualities to set up and develop a new consumer division that will play a vital role in Yell's future sustainable growth."

Bob Gregerson said: "Today's mix of media, content and technology is now being driven by the direct needs of the consumer. I believe Yell Group has a unique opportunity to capitalise on its assets so as to put itself at the heart of the consumer's world."

About Yell

Yell Group is a leading provider of print and digital services within the emerging local eMarketplace for consumers and SMEs across its operations in the UK, US, Spain and some countries in Latin America.

Building on its strong presence in the local market through its current digital and print portfolio, Yell is developing a broad range of digital services tailored to the converging needs of SMEs and consumers.  

These address both the SME need to grow, transact and be efficient in the digital world, and the consumers' need to connect locally to the goods and services they want, in a way which saves them time and money, and moves their lives forward.  

In the year ended 31 March 2011, Yell Group had 1.3 million SME advertisers.  

www.yellgroup.com

SOURCE Yell Group plc