HMV group marketing director Graham Sim has left the business to become creative director at the children’s division of publisher Penguin.

HMV had promoted Sim in August from marketing director to the newly created group role as the entertainment retailer restructured its teams to deliver “significant synergies” between its HMV and Waterstone’s chains.

Sim helped drive largescale marketing initiatives at HMV, including the eponyomous chain’s ‘Get Closer’ marketing strategy as well as its purehmv loyalty scheme.

Before he joined HMV Sim was group marketing director for Monsoon and Accessorize, and has also held senior marketing positions at fashion retailers Jaeger, Viyella, Mulberry and Clarks Shoes.

Sim told The Bookseller: “I have three main passions in life–books, music and design and having enjoyed a wonderfully rewarding time at HMV and Waterstone’s, where I’ve had the pleasure of working with iconic brands and great people, I am really looking forward to the prospect of joining Penguin, which has its own incredibly rich heritage.”

HMV said it will update on Sim’s replacement in “due course”.