News UK has appointed Charlie Celino as the new Director of Commercial Services, a role created to oversee and unify a range of key commercial functions across its flagship brands, including Times Media, The Sun, and News Broadcasting. In this capacity, Celino will lead teams responsible for sales enablement, product marketing, digital account management, media planning, data commercialisation, campaign effectiveness, and audience measurement. A significant part of his remit includes the strategic implementation of News UK’s acclaimed first-party data platform, Nucleus, which plays a central role in the company’s data-driven advertising strategy.
Charlie Celino brings extensive experience to the role, having joined News UK in 2019. His previous positions within the company include Strategic Development Director and Sales Lead for the News UK Social Studio. Before his tenure at News UK, Celino worked at industry names such as Mindshare, Live Nation, and Vibrant Media, underscoring a broad skill set across sales and strategic development. Reflecting on his appointment, Celino described it as a privilege to lead the diverse teams, emphasising his commitment to uniting these functions to optimise campaign outcomes and enhance client satisfaction through advanced data insights.
The appointment of Celino signifies News UK’s strategic emphasis on harnessing data to improve campaign effectiveness and client outcomes. The company’s first-party data platform, Nucleus, has won multiple industry awards, and under Celino’s leadership, News UK aims to deepen its integration into commercial operations to maximise revenues across its media brands. Leaders within the organisation, including Owen Griffiths, Director of Commercial Revenue at The Sun, and Caroline Tredget, Commercial Director at Times Media, expressed confidence that the consolidation of commercial services under Celino’s direction will secure best-in-class outcomes for clients.
The move aligns with broader industry trends in digital advertising, particularly in response to the evolving landscape around data privacy and the decline of third-party cookies. News UK is part of a wave of publishers developing proprietary advertising platforms designed to leverage first-party data while respecting user privacy, an approach widely viewed as essential in the so-called post-cookie era. Industry commentators have noted that platforms like Nucleus enable publishers to regain control over advertising relationships and prioritise their audiences, offering advertisers more targeted and measurable campaigns without compromising user trust.
This appointment and strategic realignment reflect News UK’s proactive response to these market shifts. By centralising roles related to data commercialisation and campaign optimisation, News UK positions itself to better serve advertisers seeking efficient, data-driven marketing solutions in an increasingly complex digital advertising environment. The company’s focus on integrating data insights into commercial decision-making represents an important adaptation as the media landscape continues to evolve.
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Source: Noah Wire Services