eBay Hires UK Executives to Drive Marketing and Recruit Retailers

eBay has hired two executives to head marketing and to recruit retail businesses in the UK. Tanya Lawler is Vice President of UK Trading, and Amanda Metcalfe is UK and Republic of Ireland Marketing Director.

Lawler's position is a new role created at eBay.co.uk to develop its customer strategy and drive growth in eBay's retail brand business, according to the company's announcement. She was previously Director of Digital and Cross-Channel at Sainsbury's, and was also Group Commercial Director at Argos and Vice President of Retail at Capgemini.

Lawler will be responsible for developing a customer strategy in order to continue to drive growth for eBay's existing retail brand and business seller partners, including Superdry, Bench, House of Fraser, LK Bennett and Comet, as well as to recruit additional retail brands to the eBay marketplace.

Lawler will join eBay in the late fall and will report to Clare Gilmartin, eBay VP of Marketplaces UK & Rest of Europe. eBay's Buyer, Enterprise Sales and Marketing functions will report to her.

In a statement about the Lawler's appointment, Gilmartin said, "Our strategy is to partner, but never compete, with the UK retail industry. In her new role, Tanya will help us ensure that the business and experience of shopping on eBay continues to evolve to meet the demands of the modern shopper."

eBay's new UK and Republic of Ireland Marketing Director Amanda Metcalfe joined eBay as Director of Fashion Retail in June 2011, "helping to grow eBay's most successful category, with over four million shoppers now looking for fashion on eBay.co.uk each month."

Prior to eBay, Metcalfe spent five years as Marketing Director for luxury online fashion retailers My-wardrobe.com and Cocosa.com, as well as heading up online marketing for Sainsbury's. Amanda began her career in marketing roles with some of the UK's largest retailers, including Selfridges where she worked on the re-launch of the brand, as well as Debenhams where she led major database marketing programs, and Laura Ashley.

eBay UK has 180,000 registered businesses and over 100 well-known brands and retailers contributing to its 40 million live listings, with fixed price goods accounting for the majority (61%) of items sold globally.