LinkedIn's new NZ boss eats his own dog food

US uber-business networking site LinkedIn has appointed its first Australia - New Zealand MD. Keallhauled connects with Clifford Rossenberg.

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LinkedIn.com has never done anything, so far, to promote itself in this part of the world.

Yet it claims 1.2 million members across Australia and New Zealand (worldwide, it has 52 million registered users).

I’ve been a member for around four years. In the technology industry, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t “LinkIn”.

The likes of Sam Morgan and Rod Drury manage sprawling contact lists through the site, which is increasingly popular across a wide spectrum of users.

While other social networks focus on what you had for breakfast or what you think of Twilight, LinkedIn is tightly focussed on business. Many use it to seek advice, to recruit - or lately - push their own services as they find themselves pushed into a “freelance” role by the recession.

Now, LinkedIn has just appointed its first managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Clifford Rosenberg, who will be based in Sydney.

For now, Mr Rosenberg is off limits. His PR told NBR that he is at LinkedIn’s US headquarters for two weeks of “immersion”.

But Mr Rosenberg was good enough to add your correspondent to his LinkedIn network within minutes of a request being emailed.

And while he’s not responding to questions, one thing is for sure - the former Vodafone Australia head of corporate strategy and Yahoo Australia New Zealand MD is a frenetic member of LinkedIn. Mr Rosenberg has 445 connections.

LinkedIn has yet to say what Mr Rosenberg will do, exactly, but recruitment advertising (LinkedIn’s main source of revenue in the US) is the obvious area for expansion.

According to his own LinkedIn entry, driving membership and “monetization” will be two key goals.

Sportingly, Mr Rosenberg is also on Twitter. Follow his account here.