Clare O'Neil Articles 6

Clare O’Neil has been in the media, marketing and advertising industry for the past 32 years, trained both locally and internationally. Clare started her career at the Argus Group as a media research analyst, working in the print media and then with various advertising agencies. Clare joined M-NET in 1990 as a Research Analyst, then Marketing Services Manager and progressed her way through the organization over a period of seven years to the point of becoming General Manager, Marketing at the groups advertising sales house Oracle Airtime Sales. Clare left Oracle in 1997 to join the Midi consortium, who was bidding for the new free-to-air television broadcasting license in early 1998. Their bid was successful and e.tv was born in October 1998. Clare was one of the eight people who set up the fledgling channel, her role being that of Commercial Sales Director. Clare went on to become Managing Director of media agency, Initiative Media for nearly two years, before joining the SABC as General Manager, Television Sales and Marketing in 2001. Clare worked in that role until the end of 2005. During that time, the SABC Television Sales division won the respect of advertisers, by winning two awards for “the top sales & marketing team” from both Unilever and South African Breweries. Upon her departure from the SABC, Clare consulted in the media and broadcasting sector, including at the two satellite TV licensees, Telkom Media and ODM. Apart from consulting in the broadcasting sector, she is also co-owner and Director of an integrated outdoor solutions company, MMAP.