Senior Pedigree man quits for Campbell’s

Mars’ Pedigree Petfood’s marketing director Roberto Cortese is leaving this Friday to take up a senior post at Campbell’s.

Cortese will join Campbell’s on November 1 as vice president for sales and marketing at its Delacre premium biscuits division.

In his new role he will be based in Brussels and report to Delacre president Alan Strasser. He will oversee and integrate European marketing across the $200m (126m) Delacre division.

Cortese’s exit has shocked Mars. Insiders say it was grooming him for a senior post in the wake of the European merger of Mars’ Master Foods and Petcare Europe.

He was expected to be appointed general manager for Italy or to a senior role in South-east Asia.

“I feel I have made a dramatic turnaround at Pedigree over the past two years and I will be sad to leave, but Campbell’s has offered me this great opportunity,” says Cortese.

The company has not appointed a successor, and it is uncertain whether there will be direct replacement, or a role as European marketing director for the newly merged Master Foods division.

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