Two senior team members at full service digital marketing agency, Xpand, have been promoted to heads of department.
Danni Johnson, previously digital marketing manager at the Saltaire agency has been promoted to head of digital marketing, whilst Simon Patchett, previously operations manager, has been promoted to head of operations.
Both promotions are the result of a successful internal management development programme which both Danni and Simon embarked on in 2021 having shown their leadership potential during the covid-19 lockdown.
Danni will be responsible for developing and managing all client’s marketing strategies and supporting the digital marketing teams with the implementation of these strategies, as well as overseeing the agency’s own marketing efforts.
In her three years at Xpand, she has achieved impressive results, including increasing the client retention rate, leading on the recruitment of new marketing talent, and the development of the firm’s LinkedIn Employee Advocacy Training.
Commenting on her appointment, Danni said: “A lot has happened in such a short space of time, including a global pandemic kicking off during my 5th month of working at Xpand. But, I’ve learnt so much because regardless of the circumstances, Jag has continued to support our development.
“Working alongside Jag and Simon has been one of the highlights of my career. I couldn’t think of anyone better to share my journey with. I look forward to 2023 and cannot wait to see where we can take Xpand together. ”
Simon, who has been with the agency for seven years, will continue to make strategic decisions about the firm’s operations and systems, and take charge of process development across all departments.
During his seven years of service, he has developed the agency’s internal workflows, giving everything a process to ensure efficiency across the board, and introduced various technologies to improve procedure and project management.
Simon added: “During my time at Xpand, I’ve been fortunate to lead projects that have directly impacted how the business works from both a systems and a people perspective.
“As head of operations, I’m looking forward to further developing how we operate as a business and making sure we are creating an impact for clients, as efficiently as possible. It’s an exciting time for Xpand and I can’t wait to get started.”
Founder and director Jag Panesar said the promotions were the right thing to do to reward the team members for their efforts and provide progression opportunities to less senior team members.
“In the time that both Danni and Simon have been part of the agency, they’ve achieved some amazing results – both personally and in the business. People need to feel valued no matter what they do. If they are progressing, they are developing personally and thus, having an impact on the business they're in.
“These promotions were not only the next step in their career, but also a reward for their efforts at Xpand. They also signal to other employees that we are committed to helping them develop and progress through the ranks.
“2023 is already looking positive following the results of 2022 and as we’re headed for further growth, creating these heads of roles means as a senior management team we can make the right strategic decisions together,” he said.
