Birmingham, 12 March 2015 Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) has appointed Chris Heath and Lisa Elrod as joint managing directors for customer service, responsible for all of ITG’s customer relations and commercial transactions.

Both step up from director roles to focus on the delivery of customer service to its prestigious client list, which includes international brands and retailers such as Audi, M&S, Heineken, Renault, PUMA, Sainsbury’s, KFC and ŠKODA.

The company has experienced phenomenal growth since its formation just over five years ago, last year entering the Sunday Times Tech Track 100. These new appointments free founder and CEO Simon Ward to focus on further growth and strategic acquisitions and overseeing the significant expansion of ITG’s US operation.

Commenting on the appointments, Simon Ward said: “Retaining a strong engagement and relationship with our clients is key for ITG, as listening and adapting to their wants, needs and direction has been the driving factor in our growth and success as a service business. The promotions of Chris and Lisa provide an improved structure for the scale of business we have become – and aspire to become. We’ve exciting times ahead.”

Chris Heath has been a director at ITG since it formed in 2009, having previously worked alongside Simon Ward as client services director at St Ives’ SP Group. Lisa Elrod joined the marketing services and technology group as customer service director in February 2013, after 14 years as client director at print and marketing specialist Bezier.

ITG is now a £60m operation and continues to experience double-digit annual growth, as enterprises shift to outsourcing marketing operations to suppliers offering advanced workflow technologies, such as ITG’s Media Centre.

The company’s intuitive marketing resource management platform was designed by marketers for marketers and developed at the company’s technology centre in Dartford. It gives retailers and brands unrivalled control over their marketing data and assets, automates the entire marketing workflow, and gives real-time visibility of all jobs, campaigns, orders and budgets. Jobs can be briefed and approved remotely through a simple cloud-based interface.

ITG now employs over 300 staff across account management, support services, studio production and technology development, including around 200 at its 24/7 production studio at Fort Dunlop, Birmingham.

Chris Heath said: “It has been a busy few years at ITG. We’ve created a compelling suite of services for the marketplace and delivered them using the best client services team in the business. It’s always a fast and exciting journey working with Simon, and the management structure changes ensure we’re in great shape for the road ahead.”

About ITG

Inspired Thinking Group is a specialist technology-led marketing services business. It helps major brands and retailers improve the efficiency, speed, cost and control of their marketing communications through its proprietary marketing resource management platform, Media Centre.

The company also manages a huge international print supply chain, employs over 300 people, including around 200 at its 24/7 artworking, creative and packaging studio, and supports its own in-house digital agency. Find out more at www.inspiredthinkinggroup.com