Caroline Marland


Caroline Ann Marland is a retired British businesswoman, advertiser and newspaper managing director. She was the first female advertising director on Fleet Street. She worked for The Guardian newspaper for 25 years and retired as managing director of the Guardian Media Group.

Biography

Marland was born in 1946 in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. She was educated in Ireland and at the Aida Foster Theatre School in London, England.
Marland began her career as a telephone saleswoman for The Yorkshire Post. She then moved to The Times, leaving the paper as she was unable to secure a management role.
In 1976, Marland began her career at The Guardian newspaper as telephone sales manager. She worked as the newspaper's advertising director from 1983. When the sales department was merged with The Observer in 1993, Marland retained her position. She was the first woman advertising director on Fleet Street. Marland was appointed as managing director of Guardian Media Group in January 1995. On her retirement from The Guardian in 2000, Marland was succeeded as advertising director by Carolyn McCall, who she mentored.
In 2000, Marland was appointed as a non-executive director of business magnate Richard Brason's People's Lottery. That year she was critical of Matthew Bannister's appointment as marketing and communications director of the British Broadcasting Company.
In 2001, Marland was appointed as a court director for the Bank of Ireland, alongside Thomas Moran. In 2006, she was promoted to senior independent director of the bank.
Marland was also a member of the board of the professional organisation Institute of Directors and sat on the newspaper panel of the Competition Commission UK. Government ministers, however, blocked her appointment as chair of the Advisory Committee on Advertising.
A photograph of Marland taken by Harry Borden is held in the collection of the National [Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery].

Personal life

She married Paul Marland, Conservative Party Member of Parliament for West Gloucestershire, in 1984, becoming the first Guardian executive to marry a Conservative MP.

Awards

  • Adwoman Association's Advertising Woman of the Year
  • Campaign's Media Achiever of the Year