Execs & Accounts UK & EU: Hi-media, AdGent, Specific Media

French media group Hi-media has acquired rival display ad network AdLINK Media, in a deal valuing the firm at 29 million euros. According to Hi-media, the purchase will stretch the reach of its network to over 120 million European users, across 20,000 publisher sites. AdLINK has local sales offices in 13 territories, including Germany, France, the U.K., Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Italy, and employs around 200 staff.

International inventory sales specialist AdGent 007 has signed a deal with The Huffington Post to sell ads against its traffic from outside of the U.S. market. AdGent will sell inventory to international advertisers using its local sales teams, which currently represent site publishers such as Conde Nast, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Hachette Filipacchi, the Los Angeles Times; and the Guardian, the Independent and the Telegraph in the U.K.

Behavioral ad network Specific Media has bolstered its recently launched Manchester-based operation with two new hires.Dave Hendry, sales manager and Sara Reetham, account manager, will be responsible for driving sales and managing clients’ needs across Birmingham, the North of England, Scotland, and Wales, reporting into Regional Group Advertising Director Martin Tingle. Both execs have backgrounds in digital account management.

Publisher-facing ad inventory optimizer the Rubicon Project has made its first U.K. hire, appointing Justin Thomas as director of U.K. publisher development. Thomas will report into General Manager, International Jay Stevens, and will be tasked with strategically supporting customers in the U.K. market.

Performance-based online marketing firm Aedgency is expanding its services to a sixth European market: Switzerland. The firm’s offerings, which include an affiliate program and a global contextual network, are also available across the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, and Italy.

Bluestar Mobile has announced a deal with Independent News and Media to design, build and manage a mobile site for The Independent newspaper. Bluestar, which was acquired by YOC Group earlier this year, says it aims to help the daily broadsheet capitalize on the growing popularity of the mobile Internet and the commercial opportunities that it affords.