Leading Hampshire media buying and digital marketing company CMe Media has appointed Jack Thomas as its sales manager. The son of founder and owner Charisse Smith, Jack has had to prove his talent and drive before being taken on board.

Jack started work at 15 and subsequently did a business course at college before moving into car sales selling new Vauxhalls and used vehicles.

At 20 he was promoted to business manager and then joined Global, the media company selling advertising space across radio brands in late 2022.

This gave him an insight into media and marketing and he worked with companies in Hampshire and Wiltshire to offer media solutions to promote their business. Having proved his ability he then put forward to the directors of Fareham-based CMe Media a proposal to join the business, which was accepted.

The company recently added a specialist automotive department – CMe Automotive Marketing - which is accelerating fast with Jack at the sales’ wheel. Charisse said:

“Jack’s appointment was due to his ability and work ethic. Like me, he started work as a teenager and has a real desire for success."

“He very much wanted to stand on his own two feet from a young age, which hasn’t changed. Jack started working at 15 having spent a lot of his school years supporting me - a single mum – by helping to look after his younger brother."

“He passed his college course and received a distinction in the selling module. While he was there Jack saw a job advertised and went for it, starting out as a showroom host at Eden Vauxhall Fareham. By 20 he was promoted to a business manager - he’d come a long way from sitting in a car park watching a video on YouTube to work out how to tie his tie on his first day."

“Jack has already made an extremely positive impact at the business using the skills he has developed in his previous jobs.”

Jack said: “I very much wanted to prove myself to my mother and was inspired by her journey building a business as a single mother."

“CMe Media has huge ambition and I am determined to be a part of its continued success and growth.”