Buckland, Maher to leave M&G Online

Comments Chris Moerdyk, marketing and media analyst and Bizcommunity.com columnist, “It should come as no surprise to the Mail & Guardian to see two of their top online executives heading off for pastures new. Talented young people such as Matthew Buckland and Vincent Maher belong to a new generation who thrive on new challenges, new environments and sometimes an entirely new lifestyle. It's what makes them tick, what motivates them, no matter how happy and successful they have been.

“Certainly they have both done wonders for M&G Online, particularly in creating the impressive Thought Leader site that last year went from nowhere to one of the country's most popular sites. With his journo's hat on, Matt Buckland is one of the most respected writers in the country when it comes to the online industry. And with his management hat on, he has a quite remarkable and pragmatic business sense. I guess M&G will be sad to see them go but there is no holding talent like this. It is going to be interesting to see where they end up. Frankly, I won't mind as long as they don't leave the country...”

Another Naspers stable appointment

Update 4.30pm: Also announcing his new appointment this afternoon, Tuesday, 24 June 2008, at MIH Internet, is last year's Top ICT Youth Innovator in Africa, Rafiq Phillips, who is currently "SEM Guru" and "Web AddiCT" at Quirk eMarketing. Effective 1 August, Phillips' new role in Strategic Worldwide Applications & Technologies (SWAT), the global research and development unit at MIH, under which portfolio 24.com and MXit both fall, will include developing new and improving existing products, as well as providing a strategic advisory service.

For more:

• Matthewbuckland.com: Leaving on a high note
  
• Vincentmaher.com: Moving to Vodacom
  
• Bizcommunity.com blog: [Breaking news] Tasks done, M&G power duo head off into the ether
  
• Webaddict.co.za: Leaving on a Quirk-y note and moving to...