Media and entertainment holding company Miroma Group is unifying its non-corporate barter interests into a single business unit, Miroma Ventures. The group has appointed McDonald’s UK senior marketing manager, Richard Hirst, to lead commercial development strategy across these businesses.

Currently responsible for franchise marketing, media planning and buying and digital marketing strategy for McDonald’s UK, Richard Hirst will be tasked with driving the performance of all the businesses within Miroma Ventures.

The unit will operate separately to Miroma Group’s corporate barter business, and will provide strategic management for business acquisitions and act as conduit for the cross-fertilisation of marketing and commercial development opportunities.

Miroma Ventures will include investment business Miroma Capital, leisure industry specialists Miroma Leisure, independent record label and production company Miroma Music, media investment service Mercury Media Science, and media buying business BuyNowMedia.

The launch of Miroma Ventures also follows the addition of Sir David Michels, deputy chairman of Marks & Spencer and Christopher Mackenzie, former president of GE Capital Europe and a former WPP board director, to the Miroma board as non-executive directors.