PRISA initiates its digital transformation

Grupo PRISA has initiated a process of digital transformation. Kamal M. Bherwani, Chief Digital Officer, is responsible for leading the project that will transform the media and publishing group. The process will turn Grupo PRISA, publisher of El País, into an innovative digital company with a clear focus on the customer and a commitment to the future.

Since Bherwani joined the group, former company Prisacom has been reorganized into two units: on the one hand, a new Digital Division within the corporate center, which will lead strategy and innovation projects, deal with global digital sales, run the content distribution and management platform, oversee change, as well as policy on partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, both domestic and international. It will also be responsible for the Group's internal digital technologies.

Meanwhile, PRISA Digital Services (PSD) shall be responsible for maintaining the systems and digital products of the Group.

In the Commercial Division, led by Andrés Cardo, managing director for Corporate Development, Sales and Marketing, a new company has been created that brings together the activities of Box Publicidad and GDM, thus integrating their sales forces in an innovative business model with a clear customer focus that will allow for cross-corporate offers and unique and integrated campaigns. Its privileged position in the market is guaranteed thanks to the power of the brands it represents and the expertise of its professionals.

This new company will be organized in three areas: Sales, Operations and Marketing, and will be under the direction of William H. Derrenger, an executive who now joins the group. The sales area will be headed by Paul Brown, responsible for marketing all media advertising.

Operations will be headed by Carlos Perez. María Jesús Solaun will lead the marketing area, and this division will be provided with an appropriate structure to meet the new challenges ahead. Hortensia Fuentes, till now general manager of Box Publicidad, joins the Digital Division, alongside  Bherwani Kamal, as director of strategic digital projects; José Luis Puigdengolas, leaves his position as managing director of GDM, to fill the post of General Manager for marketing at El País.

---DIGITAL DIVISION: MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVES---

- PAUL WESTHORPE is the director of Digital Sales. He has extensive experience in the online marketing industry, especially in e-marketing.

- RAHUL PURI leads the Innovation and Software Architecture Division and is  widely regarded in the field of enterprise architecture and technological implementation.

- IGNACIO SOTO is the director of Operations. He began his career at Arthur Andersen and joined PRISA in 1999.

- LUIS MANUEL GARCIA is responsible for PRISA's Digital Services. He is a senior engineer in IT from the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen.

- HORTENSIA FUENTES has been named director of Strategic Digital Projects. She previously held the position of general manager at Box News.

- ALMUDENA CAMPO works as assistant general manager in the Digital Division. She has previously worked in the distribution of audiovisual content.

- OSCAR GOMEZ is Director of Organization, Resources and Technology for the group.

---SALES AND MARKETING MANAGEMENT ---

- WILLIAM H DERRENGER is the general manager in this area. A US citizen, he holds a BA in Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has been chairman and CEO of Kellogg's Spain.

- PAUL BROWN holds the post of sales manager. He was educated at Ampleforth College (United Kingdom) and holds an MA from the University of Oxford. He has worked in Publiespaña, Telecinco and Universal McCann Barcelona.

- CARLOS PÉREZ ÁLVAREZ is general manager. He holds a BA in Economics from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and studied the Advanced Management Program at IESE. He joined PRISA in 1988, where he has held a number of posts including finance manager at Progresa and general manager at GDM.

- MARIA JESUS SOLAÚN is the marketing manager. She holds a BA in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Deusto, and a master's degree in radio from the Universidad Complutense. She also studied the management and administration program at IESE. Prior to joining PRISA, she worked at RTVE and the radio channel Cope.

Source: EL PAÍS