Google AdSense Exec Butting Leaving For Holtzbrinck

One of the top men in Europe for Google’s AdSense programme is leaving to head the well-thought-of digital activities of German publisher Holtzbrinck.

Johann Butting became senior director for AdSense Europe last year, a year after taking a role as senior sales director for northern Europe.

But now, from October 15, he will run Holtzbrinck Digital, a big division housing Holtzbrinck Networks, the Holtzbrinck Ventures investing arm, the Holtzbrinck eLab start-up incubator, Holtzbrinck’s marketing network, its Quarter Media marketing unit and its technical wing Holtzbrinck Online Services.

The Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, which owns Nature Publishing Group and Macmillan, publishes the Die Zeit weekly paper. Holtzbrinck Networks runs sites including the My Hammer tradesman finder and Top Tarif price comparer.

Holtzbrinck Ventures’ portfolio includes Kyte, Seatwave and StudiVZ.