Mars picks Bates chief for new role

Mars has appointed Bates Worldwide vice chairman Ken Rogers to a new role in which he will be responsible for the company’s Snackfoods Europe unit.

The appointment re-establishes a link with the agency which Mars ditched earlier this year when it took more than 270m of global business out of Cordiant (which owns Bates). Its place on the roster was taken by the BBDO network – where it sits alongside Grey and D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles.

Though Mars, run by the secretive and autocratic Mars brothers John and Forrest, traditionally steers clear of explaining the reasons for its appoint- ments, the move will be seen as a long overdue attempt to revitalise its marketing.

The appointment comes two months after the departure of Ton van Elst, who was charged with boosting innovation. He is understood to have resigned during a presentation to Snackfoods Europe’s management board.

Mars’s market has changed in recent years following the consolidation of the confectionery industry in the US and Europe.