Investment & Personal Finance

Larry Harris, a veteran marketing executive and entrepreneur, will be named President of VGTel, Inc. At 48 years of age, Mr. Harris' experience spans a broad range of capacities in both the advertising industry and in defining new marketing paradigms for the convergence of media with digital technology. He founded one of the first interactive agencies within a major ad agency at FCB, led marketing integration at Draft and was most recently CEO of Ansible Mobile, the innovative mobile marketing joint venture between marketing services holding company, Interpublic Group and Velti, a leading provider of mobile marketing solutions.

In addition to developing and expanding its mobile portfolio, VGTel is also looking for opportunities to strengthen its social and video capabilities. The power of social media to actively engage consumers coupled with the reach and personalization of mobile are driving innovation across the media industry and creating opportunities for companies like VGTel to develop new and compelling offers to enhance connections between consumers, content and brands. These trends are also fueling the continued growth of display advertising and marketing services. Mr. Harris added, "As the market enters a new era that will be driven by audience connections with each other and with brands, we will be focused on personal technology and personal media. To that end, we have also entered into negotiations to strengthen our global capabilities in social media, video and global e-commerce." VGTel anticipates that the deals under discussion will be closed before the end of the second quarter.