Mars loses md in UK food and petcare rejig

Mars is to merge its food and petcare businesses in the UK in a move that has sparked the departure of Bill Ronald, managing director of Mars Confectionery.

Following a similar move in Europe last year, the company is to merge Mars Confectionery and Pedigree Masterfoods to trade under the name Masterfoods (Division of Mars UK).

Mars has three marketing directors each heading a department in the UK. Helen Stevenson handles confectionery, Rob Hughes the food business and Patrick Huyskens, who was last month promoted from marketing manager to marketing director of petcare. Mars claims these jobs are secure and that there are no plans to have one senior marketer for the merged UK businesses.

A spokesperson for Mars says it is too early to say whether there will be job cuts across the group.

Mike Davies, previously the managing director for Pedigree Masterfoods, takes over as managing director of the merged business.

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