SmithKline fills senior marketing position

SmithKline Beecham has finally filled its top marketing post for oral care by promoting marketing manager Giles Turrell.

He becomes category director oral care, responsible for such brands as Macleans and Aquafresh, replacing Dermot Cleary who left to join sports goods supplier Nike last year (MW May 10).

Cleary held the new role for only a few months after the company was reorganised.

Turrell lines up alongside two other category directors: Jan Hall, who is responsible for the analgesics/respiratory tract category including brands such as Panadol and the Day/Night Nurse range; and Steve Jegier, who looks after the gastro-intestinal and skincare category, with brands such as Tagomet.

Hall replaced Jeremy Put tock, who left the company before Christmas.

All three report to the general manager and vice president for consumer healthcare John Clarke. Clarke, who has been with the company for about 20 years, is thought to be lined up for an international role at the company.

The appointment of Turrell follows SB’s sale before Christmas of its indigestion remedy brand Setlers to US company Stafford-Miller.

In its latest set of results in the year to October 1995 the company saw third quarter sales rise 16 per cent to 1.7bn compared with the same period last year.