Scottish Courage hires chief but senior marketer departs

Scottish Courage is understood to have hired Alex Nicol, marketing director of Glenmorangie parent MacDonald Martin, as commercial director for its international division.

Nicol will report to Scottish Courage international managing director Richard Keith. He would be responsible for sales and marketing of brands outside the UK, such as Foster’s 4.5m ad spend in Europe. Scottish Courage international is understood to be looking at joint ventures and expansion in Asia.

In the UK, the company has been hit by the second senior marketing departure in two months with the exit of head of marketing services Christian Hannestad this week.

Hannestad, who worked for Scottish & Newcastle for five years before its takeover of Courage, has left to work as a freelance PR consultant, on a project with Edinburgh agency The Communications Business.

The move has surprised some observers, though Hannestad says he has left to pursue “career development”. His resignation follows the departure of Scottish Courage’s head of strategic planning, John Roberts.

Hannestad took on the top marketing services job after the Courage and Scottish & Newcastle marketing departments were integrated (MW November 3 1995).