Bass loses Carling marketing boss

Bass Brewers is losing the senior marketer responsible for its market-leading lager brand Carling.

Dave Carruthers, who has been director of brands for Carling since 1992, has resigned to join South African Breweries in Johannesburg as head of brands marketing.

Since Carruthers’ appointment, the brand has seen volume and market share grow for four successive years. During his tenure, Carling Premier was launched and Carling’s sponsorship deal with the FA Premiership was sealed. He joined the company 15 years ago as a regional brands manager for Bass North.

Mark Hunter, director of brands for Tennent’s, who has worked for Bass for eight years, replaces Carruthers. His post will be temporarily filled by the Tennent’s Lager senior brand manager Gordon Brown.

Meanwhile, Bass-owned Carlsberg-Tetley has reorganised its trade marketing department which deals with pubs, making former trade marketing controller Jim Saddler redundant.

The company says Saddler’s responsibilities, which involved dealing with the free trade, will be handled by customer marketing controller Richard Ellis, who already deals with the major national pub chains. He becomes trade and customer marketing controller.

Trade marketing manager Claire Prewitt is also leaving, to join Anheuser-Busch European Trade.