Gillette poaches P&G marketer as Euro boss LE Group set to move into phone sector

Gillette is relocating its top European marketer, president of commercial operations Ed Shirley, to an as yet unspecified role at its headquarters in Boston in the US.

Shirley, who was based in the UK, is being replaced by Procter & Gamble marketer Edward Lonergan.

Lonergan will be responsible for all marketing, sales and trade relations throughout Europe when he joins the company on May 15. At P&G he heads a global team that manages the company’s multichannel operators in 28 countries.

Lonergan will report to international president for commercial operations Ernst Haberli.

Gillette is moving its central European marketing team out of the UK to Geneva in Switzerland in 2003, as part of a business restructure to focus on retail (MW March 14). The reason the company cites for this move is that the majority of its retail customers are based in mainland Europe.

Earlier this year, Gillette promoted its North American head of commercial operations for male shaving, Jeff Reilly, to chief European marketer for personal care.

As European business unit manager for personal care, Reilly reports to European business director of grooming Dwight Brown. He is responsible for all of Gillette’s personal care and toiletries products, including the Right Guard deodorant range. (MW January 17).