News UK has announced four senior promotions across its commercial business, with Jenny Smith appointed group client director, Tim Stratham-Smith promoted to director, programmatic & revenue operations, Tracey Hendle to head of agency development, and Pavlina Theodoulou to director of affiliates and partnerships (eCommerce).
News UK says Smith will have overarching responsibility for delivering its client sales strategy across The Sun, The Times and News Broadcasting. She will lead the development of senior client relationships across all industries, helping News UK understand evolving marketing priorities and identify opportunities to diversify and grow commercial revenue.
Meanwhile, Stratham-Smith will lead programmatic strategy and revenue operations across News UK’s digital portfolio. His role will focus on developing News UK’s ad technology, automated trading and yield models, while refining supply paths, making better use of first-party data and growing the business across PMP and Programmatic Guaranteed.
Hendle will strengthen News UK’s agency partnerships, driving advocacy and commercial success early in the planning cycle. She will work closely with senior communications planning and strategy leads across media agencies, focusing on connecting media strategy to commercial impact, tackling shared industry challenges through the Leading the Conversation series, and expanding the News UK Advocates Programme.
Lastly, Theodoulou will lead News UK’s affiliate and commerce strategy across its digital titles, including The Times, The Sun and talkSPORT. Her focus will be on growing strategic partnerships with global networks, brand-direct partners and enterprise platforms, while exploring emerging opportunities across shoppable media, direct-to-consumer integrations and new distribution channels.
Caroline Tredget, commercial director, Times Media, said: “As client and agency needs evolve, Jenny and Tracey’s leadership will be central to how we collaborate across our brand portfolio. By connecting our trusted brands and massively engaged audiences with innovative, high-impact solutions, they will help us drive client success while unlocking new growth opportunities for News UK.”
Owen Griffiths, commercial director, The Sun, said: “Pavlina and Tim’s promotions reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing News UK’s digital strategy. Pavlina’s focus on expanding our affiliate capabilities will significantly elevate our offering for partners. Meanwhile, Tim will drive our transition into agentic trading to keep us at the forefront of ad-tech innovation.”
Jenny Smith, group client director, News UK, said: “Clients are thinking more broadly about how they reach their audiences, and that creates an opportunity for us to do the same. My focus will be on understanding what clients are trying to achieve across our brands, and finding the right opportunities to support them.”
Tim Stratham-Smith, director, programmatic & revenue operations, News UK, said: “As the digital media landscape becomes increasingly automated and data-driven, creating scalable, transparent yield strategies is essential. My focus will be on enhancing our programmatic capabilities, optimising operational efficiency, and unlocking new revenue opportunities across News UK's premium inventory."
Tracey Hendle, head of agency development, News UK, said: "By acting as a trusted advisor and leading the conversation on some of the market's biggest shared challenges, we drive real advocacy for our brands, our thinking, and our audiences, ensuring growth opportunities land within agencies early, where we can deliver maximum impact."
Pavlina Theodoulou, director of affiliates and partnerships (eCommerce), News UK, added: “Commerce and affiliate partnerships now touch every single aspect of consumer intent, from finance and entertainment to retail, luxury, and gaming. Across our titles, our objective is to build tailored, high-impact partnerships that drive tangible commercial ROI for brands, while delivering seamless, valuable experiences for our readers.”
Keep up-to-date with publishing news: sign up here for InPubWeekly, our free weekly e-newsletter.
