Allied Domecq marketer set for the push

Allied Domecq chief marketing officer Kim Manley is unlikely to be reinstated to his role, pending his suspension after an investigation into his “personal conduct” and his “relationship with suppliers”.

An insider claims that an internal allegation “about his conduct” led to Manley being put under investigation and that he is unlikely to come back.

Manley, who reports to chief executive Philip Bowman, has been on leave since September. A spokesman says: “I can confirm that Kim Manley has been on leave while allegations raised internally against him are investigated. But those are in no way relevant either to our shareholders or to our performance as a company.”

Manley was pivotal in Allied’s decision to move its &£18m advertising business out of Cordiant Communications to Publicis, a move which ultimately led to the demise of the network that owned Bates UK and 141 (MW May 1, 2003). The deal is said to have been done behind closed doors, but an insider says the investigation is not looking at Manley’s relationship with the agency. It has been suggested that it only involves Manley’s “activities” as an individual within the company.

In the interim, senior vice- president marketing Simon Stewart will oversee marketing.