Claydon Heeley appoints senior Kraft man as client services chief

Dean Sanders, the former Kraft Jacobs Suchard marketer who moved to Italian pasta giant Barilla, but left after a week, has been appointed client services director at through-the-line agency Claydon Heeley.

Sanders started his new job at the agency on Monday, taking responsibility for several major pieces of business including Glaxo-Wellcome, Britvic and Unilever.

Sanders, who spent nine years at KJS including a spell at the company’s German confectionery operation, worked with Claydon Heeley for more than three years while he was in the marketing team at Terry’s Suchard.

He progressed from group product manager of Terry’s Chocolate Orange to marketing manager for gift confectionery and then marketing controller for the whole range.

After a year as the most senior marketer, he left to join Barilla, the family-owned pasta and biscuit company based in Parma, as European marketing director, two months ago but quit almost straightaway (MW October 4). He says: “I realised very early on that Barilla would not offer the broad experience of marketing problems I was looking for. The most honest thing to do was to leave.”

Claydon Heeley has handled several integrated campaigns for Terry’s Suchard on brands including Terry’s All Gold and Terry’s Chocolate Orange.

“Claydon Heeley is a very innovative, very flexible company. I hope to give the agency added impetus in understanding what clients need,” says Sanders.