Twitter hires former Googler to lead self-serve sales drive out of Ireland

Twitter has confirmed two new hires today, both former Googlers and one of which will lead its international self-serve ads business out of Dublin, Ireland.

Stephen McIntyre is due to begin his new role as head of Twitter’s self-serve ad platform in a “few weeks” from Twitter’s soon to be opened European headquarters in Dublin. Twitter’s self-serve ad platform will open up to small businesses next month.

Stephen has worked at Google headquarters in Dublin since 2005 in a variety of sales roles, most notably overseeing Google’s own self-serve ad platform internationally.

Along with Stephen, Twitter has also confirmed it has hired Shailesh Rao. Again, an ex-Googler who is tasked with setting up direct sales operations internationally. Shailesh has been based at Google in New Delhi, India since 2007 and will join Twitter in San Francisco in April.

Around 70% of Twitter’s 100 million or so active users live outside of the United States, so it makes sense to grow ad platforms internationally.

Yesterday, Twitter passed the 500 million registered users mark.