Sainsbury’s names new marketing director
Sainsbury’s has named MasterCard boss and former 118 118 CEO Mark Horgan as its most senior marketer.
He will join the supermarket as marketing director within the six months and take responsibility for customer insights and loyalty, brand communications and non-food marketing.
He will sit on Sainsbury’s operating board and report in to Mike Coupe, group commercial director.
The role has been vacant for over a year since Sainsbury’s former marketing director Gwyn Burr was promoted to the customer service and colleague director in July 2010.
Claire Harrison-Church, director of brand communications, has been overseeing marketing operations in the interim.
Horgan is currently managing director of MasterCard’s Access Prepaid Worldwide subsidiary but has a background in FMCG and retail marketing.
Previously, he was European CEO at 118 118, group marketing and strategy director at MFI Group and regional brand director at Mars Confectionery.
Horgan says: “Sainsbury’s is renowned as a brand with an innovative, exciting approach to marketing that listens and quickly responds to the needs of its customers, something that is vitally important in the competitive world of retail.”
Sainsbury’s recently severed its ties with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver who has been its brand ambassador for more than a decade