IDM welcomes Bill Cockburn CBE, TD as new president
Released 09 May 2001: The Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM) announced today that Bill Cockburn CBE, TD has become its new president.
Mr Cockburn, formerly Group Managing Director of BT UK, makes his first official appearance in his new role at the IDM/Royal Mail Symposium on 15 May. Prior to BT, Mr Cockburn was Group Chief Executive of WHSmith and Chief Executive of the Post Office.
Professor Derek Holder, Managing Director of the IDM, says, "Bill's credentials are second to none. His unique blend of experience, which spans all the main direct and interactive channels, makes him especially qualified for this important role. Everyone at the IDM will benefit from his presidency as it oversees the development and delivery of the knowledge and training essential for the ultimate one-to-one marketer."
Mr Cockburn adds, "The IDM has always been the home of the technology-driven marketer. And as new technologies continue to transform business and consumer fundamentals, the IDM will also develop and grow. As president I will be assisting with the reinvention of the Institute as it enters an exciting new era."
Mr Cockburn's appointment begins with immediate effect. His first public address in the role will take place at the close of the IDM/Royal Mail Symposium. Further appearances are planned for later in the year.
Note to editors
For further information on the IDM or Bill Cockburn, call Ruth Stone, PR Manager, on +44 (0)20 8614 0216 (direct) or +44 (0)7788 417109 (mobile), or e-mail ruth@orchidpr.co.uk.
About Bill Cockburn CBE, TD
Bill Cockburn, who joined BT in October 1997, was Group Managing Director of BT's UK organisation with responsibility for 110,000 people and a turnover of £14 billion. He was also responsible for customer-facing operations, products and services, engineering and the infrastructure of BT, as well as for overseeing Yellow Pages and Cellnet, the mobile telecommunications operator. He also took the board-level lead with the Director General of Oftel.
Prior to BT, Bill was Group Chief Executive of WHSmith, a group of six companies employing 32,000 people and encompassing the well-known high-street brands, Waterstone's, Virgin/Our Price and, of course, WHSmith.
He was previously a full-time member of the Post Office board and served as Chief Executive of the company until October 1995. In this capacity he was the executive head of the Post Office, comprising Royal Mail, Parcelforce and Post Office Counters Ltd, with a turnover of nearly £6 billion and some 190,000 employees.
Born in Edinburgh in 1943, Bill was educated at the city's Holy Cross Academy, and joined the Post Office in Glasgow in 1961. He held a number of senior appointments in the course of his career there, and was appointed to the Post Office board on 1 October 1981.
Bill was made a Commander of the British Empire for his services to British industry in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1989. He is a Non-Executive Director of Lex Services plc (appointed in January 1993), a member of the Business in the Community board (appointed 1990) and a trustee of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers (appointed 1993).
He is also an Honorary Colonel of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve (Royal Logistics Corps Postal and Courier Service), Colonel Commandant of the Royal Logistics Corps, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce, a council member of the Industrial Society, a member of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, a companion of the Institute of Management and a freeman of the City of London.
About the IDM
The IDM is the fastest-growing marketing institute in Europe, with almost 6,000 individual members. In the fourteen years since it was founded, the IDM's agenda has evolved to reflect the extraordinary revolution in business practices brought about by the growth of new media and technologies. The IDM is a not-for-profit organisation, an educational trust and a registered charity, and it offers courses and qualifications spanning every aspect of business and technology. To find out more, visit www.theidm.com.
