UK marketer lands top Euro role at Mars

Mars Confectionery has made the final appointment in its far-reaching restructure of European marketing management.

Sara Weller, UK marketing manager for the Mars group of brands, has been promoted to consumer development director, a pan-European role which involves understanding how the consumer interacts with all the Mars brands.

Her appointment, announced internally at Mars on Monday, takes effect immediately. According to the company, the position “will focus on the development of the Mars brand portfolio working with existing local teams which focus on demographic opportunity areas”.

The move is a considerable promotion for Weller, who worked on Mars, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Opal Fruits and Skittles, although it means she will no longer have a team working directly for her. She will report to Ken Rogers, vice-president for European marketing.

Marketing Week revealed how Mars was restructuring its European Snackfoods business, bringing in former Bates USA executive Tom Jasinski from New York to the newly created post of head of European advertising (August 30 1996).