Square in the Air appoints ex-William Hill head as director of newly created team
Sixteen-year industry veteran Mark Armitage joins firm to head performance marketing division on a permanent basis as 12 months of freelancing for PR firm
Square in the Air has appointed former Kindred Group and William Hill head Mark Armitage to its leadership team as director of its newly created performance marketing division.
The new head first started consulting for the marketing and PR supplier last May before joining full time in March.
The 16-year industry veteran first entered the space with Rank as an affiliate marketing executive in October 2007, eventually leaving the firm in July 2009 to join Paddy Power in the same role.
He departed Paddy Power in September 2010, taking a break from the industry to move into PR and moving to Japan with Wizcorp, before returning to the UK from Japan in June 2015 when he joined Kindred Group.
His first role with the Unibet parent company was as global marketing manager, before being promoted to his first management role as an affiliate marketing team lead.
Armitage also had a stint as interim head of performance marketing, before eventually leaving the group at the end of 2017.
Armitage then joined William Hill as head of affiliates in January 2018, staying until October 2020 having changed roles in October 2019 to head of digital media.
Further jobs in the igaming space followed, including CMO of SlotsMillion in November 2020 before arriving at marketing consultancy for the industry Square in the Air in May 2023.
Square in the Air’s performance marketing clients already include operators AK Bets, Star Sports and Planet Sport Bet, with plans in place for the launch of AK Bets’ affiliate programme.
In this new role, Armitage will be tasked with creating strategy and execution as well as supporting clients as they look to deliver on their marketing KPIs through “affiliate management, biddable media and mobile acquisition”.
Armitage said he was delighted to join the PR company on a permanent basis and will look to use his experience in the affiliate space to offer more to the firm’s clients.
He remarked: “Having previously availed of Square in the Air’s services while working operator-side, I had experienced first-hand their quality and professionalism.
“I’m delighted to have been offered the opportunity to join the company and leverage my experience in the affiliate and performance marketing space as we expand our already wide-ranging offering to clients across the industry.”
Bill Esdaile, Square in the Air managing director, called the changes a “major landmark” for the company while also announcing the addition of Hassan Mohammed as a senior account manager and John Totten as an account manager.
Esdaile said: “Mark’s appointment and the creation of our performance marketing division is a major landmark for Square in the Air.
“As a leader in the field, Mark is a valuable addition to our management team and, alongside Hassan and John, we are adding a wealth of experience.
“Through the introduction of top talent and new service offerings that are driving and serving industry demand, we are ensuring that the agency continues to grow at pace.”
Arnold Ash is EGR’s Executive Recruitment Partner. They support ambitious organisations to identify and attract industry leading executive talent. Find out more here.