Coca-Cola boss defects to British Gas

Former Coca-Cola marketer Andrew Mann has been appointed head of marketing at British Gas Trading.

Mann replaces Colin Woodcock, who left the company in October after being in the job for just two months. Woodcock, formerly head of brand marketing at Barclaycard, rejoined the credit card company as head of marketing strategy (MW October 12).

Mann will be responsible for advertising, campaign planning, affinity marketing and direct marketing. He will report to Kath Kyle, who is currently acting director of marketing.

Kyle replaces Ian El-Mokadem, now managing director of Centrica Telecommunications. Kyle was previously head of marketing, planning and pricing at British Gas Trading.

Mann has 14 years’ experience in marketing soft drinks at Cadbury Schweppes and Coca-Cola. He was marketing director of Schweppes GB, responsible for the launch of Oasis and Dr Pepper. He moved to Coca-Cola after its &£1.1bn acquisition of Cadbury Schweppes, and he became global brand director for Dr Pepper and later global brand director for Canada Dry.

British Gas Trading, owned by Centrica, markets gas and electricity in the UK through its British Gas and Scottish Gas brands. It has about 14 million gas and 4 million electricity customers.

BMP DDB handles creative work for the company and OMD UK handles the media.

British Gas is also looking internally and externally for a new director of marketing.