New Premier Beverages chief quits

Gabi Baron, Premier Beverages’ newly appointed marketing chief, has left the company just three months after joining. It is not known what her new role will be.

Neil Gillis, the commercial director of Premier Beverages to whom Baron reported, says that her departure was “by mutual agreement”.

Baron’s role was created to spearhead the growth of beverage brands, which include Typhoo, Marvel, Cadbury-branded hot drinks and London Herb & Spice herbal teas.

She was headhunted for the position of general marketing manager while at Procter & Gamble, where she was involved in product development. She will be replaced by former marketing controller for the tea brands Chris Thomas.

Baron appointed Saatchi & Saatchi to handle Typhoo and the herbal teas only one month into her new job. The account was reviewed out of Delaney Fletcher Bozell, which was retained for Cadbury’s Chocolate Break and Highlights.

Shortly before she joined Premier, Baron had high hopes for her brands. She told Marketing Week in an interview (June 26) that she was looking forward to settling into the role and was confident that she would push Typhoo up the tea league, where it holds third position.