Weetabix marketing boss in sudden exit

Weetabix top marketer Bill Humes has suddenly left the cereal company without a job to go to. His departure coincides with the arrival of new chief executive Ken Wood, the former managing director of Müller Dairies, who joined the company last month.

It is understood that Humes’ role as commercial director has been scrapped as part of a review of the marketing department. The brand’s head of marketing, Tony Corp, and head of international brand development, Andy Harris, have not been affected by the changes. They will now report to Wood.

It is not known if there will be further restructuring in the marketing department. Humes was commercial director at Weetabix for about five years and was previously sales director at rival company Kellogg. He left Kellogg without a job to go to in 1998.

Weetabix is the best-selling cereal ahead of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, although the Kellogg’s brand has the biggest market share overall.

Changes have been expected at the cereal company, which also owns Alpen, since it was acquired by Texan venture capitalist Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst late last year. The venture capitalist also owns Premier Foods, but it is not thought that there are any plans to assimilate the two food companies.