Nestlé Rowntree picks new marketing director

Nestlé Rowntree, the confectionery division of the Swiss-owned food company, has appointed a new director of marketing.

Martin Corcoran, director of marketing for confectionery at Nestlé Ireland, will replace Martin Marsh who is retiring. Corcoran will report to managing director David Harris and will take up his post in mid-September.

Corcoran will be responsible for brands including Kit Kat, Yorkie and Milkybar and steps into a role which was previously held by Roger Partington, now marketing director of Safeway.

Corcoran will be in charge of Nestlé Rowntree’s advertising budget of more than 10m. The company devotes about 5m to Kit Kat, through J Walter Thompson, and the 63-year-old brand is still the top-selling confectionery brand in the UK with annual sales in the region of 130m (Nielsen).

Nestlé Rowntree is still in the throes of a two-year restructure involving the transfer of production between factories.

Nestlé is the largest food company in the world and in the UK is divided into four divisions: Nestlé Rowntree, the food service division, the food division and the grocery division.