Facebook now has its first-ever chief marketing officer, and it just happens to be an executive which the company has lured away from Google. Gary Briggs went over to Google when the company acquired Motorola Mobility, where he was SVP, Marketing and Advisor to the CEO. He was also VP, Consumer Marketing at Google.
Facebook itself has never had an actual CMO, but rather a VP, Product Marketing. According to AdAge, who broke the story, Briggs will replace Eric Antonow, who held that title at the company. The publication reports:
The change in title reflects an expanded scope for the role. Mr. Briggs’s duties are to lead branding and marketing efforts for all Facebook constituencies of users, developers and potential consumers of new products like Facebook Home. He’ll oversee the Facebook teams responsible for product marketing, platform marketing and events, communication design, brand marketing and content strategy.
AdAge also shares the following quote from Briggs:
“Facebook isn’t just a company. For more than a billion people, it’s their connection to the friends and things they care about most. Telling the story of such an important and still very young brand is an incredible opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Briggs’ position at Facebook is confirmed by his LinkedIn profile, which lists VP, CMO at Facebook for August 2013 – Present at Menlo Park.
Other roles Briggs has held over the years include Director, Brand Pepsi at Pepsi Cola, Director, Brand Strategy at IBM, VP, Consumer Marketing at eBay, Vp, GM eBay Canada, VP, Marketing at PayPal and SVP, CMO at eBay North America, among other things.
Obviously Briggs has a great deal of experience in marketing major brands, including major Internet brands.
Briggs is also currently a board member for Rainmaker
Image: LinkedIn