Yell Appoints Scott Moore to the New Role of Chief Digital Officer

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Yell today announces the appointment of Scott Moore to the new role of Chief Digital Officer (CDO).  Scott will lead the creation and development of Yell's new generation of products and services that will enable small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers and their consumers to capitalise on the digital opportunity.

Scott joins Yell from MSN where, as Partner and Executive Producer, he was responsible for transforming Microsoft's online consumer service, turning it into a valuable property which now attracts more than 125 million American consumers every month and drives adoption of Bing, Microsoft's search service.  Previously, Scott was Senior Vice President and Head of Media at Yahoo!, where he led Yahoo! to market leadership in News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and Lifestyle. Earlier he held senior management roles at Microsoft businesses including MSNBC.com and Expedia Travel.  He was also Publisher of Slate, Microsoft's online magazine.

Scott's appointment furthers Yell's strategy that will see it transform from its established position in providing print and online advertising for SMEs to become a leader in the emerging local eMarketplace.  The eMarketplace comprises an innovative platform and digital portal where consumers and SMEs can connect and transact.

Scott will report to Mike Pocock, Group Chief Executive Officer, and will be based at a new Yell office to be opened in Seattle, WA.  The Seattle office will act as a central hub to co-ordinate Yell's worldwide digital development activities.

Mike Pocock said: "Scott is a highly regarded senior executive with vast experience in building and turning around digital and online properties.  At Yell, he will develop and execute the new products and services that will enable our more than 1.3 million SME customers and their consumers to take full advantage of the digital opportunity.  Scott's proven commercial track record and intimate knowledge in this space will bring a new clarity and energy to our rapidly expanding digital portfolio."

Scott Moore said: "I'm hugely excited by the opportunity to shape and lead the realisation of Yell's digital vision, which stands at the intersection of local, mobile and social.  SMEs have typically been under-served when it comes to provision of digital services, with the majority of development efforts historically focused on the needs of either consumers or large enterprises.  Yell has all the credentials to rectify that situation by creating a truly innovative, integrated portfolio of web, social and mobile offerings focused on the converging requirements of SMEs and their customers.  It's an exciting concept, and one which I'm looking forward to working on with Mike and his team as we bring it to life."

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 has over 1 million SME advertisers.

Background – eMarketplace

Yell is pioneering the creation of the eMarketplace, comprising an innovative platform and digital portal where consumers and SMEs can connect and transact.

The local eMarketplace is set to become the destination of choice for local entrepreneurs and business owners who want to gain easy access to a complete portfolio of digital services, including social, e-commerce and mobile web capabilities.  For the first time, it will enable SMEs to connect with local consumers via a single, integrated platform that enables them to grow, transact and become more efficient.

For consumers, the local eMarketplace fulfils the desire to connect locally to goods and services, in a way which saves both time and money. It also helps people better manage their daily activities and errands and streamlines their navigation through key events and transitions.

SOURCE Yell