Persil chief quits for overseas role

Man behind the launch and closure of Persil Power marks third top departure from Lever this year

Lever Brother’s head of marketing for Persil, Surf and Comfort, Tim Hammond, has quit to become managing director of Lever Egypt.

Lever staff were told last Wednesday that he would be leaving for Egypt on Friday to take up his new role.

It is the third major departure at Lever this year. In February, Lever UK managing director Andrew Seth took early retirement (MW February 17) and in July, Lever Europe chief executive Allan Price retired (MW July 14). Seth was replaced by Aart Weijburg from Lever Germany, and Price was replaced by Birds Eye Wall’s chairman John Sharpe.

Hammond is replaced by Lever’s innovation manager for premium performance fabrics John Trafford, who has been with the company for 13 years.

Hammond, whose official title was business group manager for fabrics and fabric conditioners, was at Lever for three years. He joined from the McKinsey consultancy. In the Eighties he worked for Unilever at Mattessons.

Lever abolished the post of marketing director when Ed Jackson left for Spain in February 1994. The company set up a category mar-keting team structure which placed a greater emphasis on retailers.

Hammond was appointed to look after fabrics and Jerry Wright for home care.

He was responsible for Persil’s marketing during the most turbulent time in its history – the launch

last year, and closure earlier this year, of Persil Power. He also oversaw the introduction of New Generation Persil, last January, which has seen Lever replace much of its lost market share.