Marketing chief takes on Lurpak

Arla Foods, which owns the Lurpak butter brand, has promoted Hanne Sondergaard to the post of UK marketing director.

Sondergaard will start her new job immediately. She replaces Frede Juulsen, who is returning to work for the company in Denmark.

Sondergaard will be responsible for the company’s range of dairy products, which includes the Rosenborg blue cheese range and Harmonie organic milk, in addition to Lurpak.

Sondergaard joined Arla, which is Europe’s largest dairy company, in 1990. She moved to the UK in 1994. Before her promotion she was a customer business unit controller.

Arla has also appointed two new directors. Chris Edge is domestic sales director and Grant Inkpin becomes business development director.

Lurpak is the biggest selling butter brand in the UK, with &£107m in sales. It is second behind Flora as the biggest selling dairy product.

Lurpak’s distinctive trombone-playing mascot, Douglas, was created by BMP DDB, still Lurpak’s creative agency. Media is through Carat. Lurpak recently announced that it is the new sponsor of Leeds United Football Club’s East Stand.