Nestlé head of UK marketing in sudden exit

Nestlé UK top marketer Tom Wilcock has left his job after less than a year in the role. It is not known if he has a job to go to.

Nestle%20WaterNestlé aters’ UK top marketer Tom Wilcock has left his job after less than a year in the role. It is not known if he has a job to go to.

Wilcock, who took on the role in October last year, has been replaced by Rebecca White. White was previously a senior brand manager within Nestlé aters UK and reported to Wilcock.

Previous responsibilities for Wilcock included UK marketing controller of Nestlé jointly owned breakfast cereal division, Cereal Partners.

White will now have six staff reporting to her, and she in turn will report to Nestlé UK managing director Paolo San Giorgio. White takes on responsibility for a portfolio of brands that includes Perrier, Buxton and Vittel.

Nestlé recently introduced French mineral water brand Contrex to the UK, positioning the brand as a slimming water. The company claims Contrex helps eliminate toxins from the body and contains higher levels of magnesium and calcium than any other mineral water in the UK. Contrex, launched in 1976, is bottled at source in Contrexeville in north-east France.

The bottled water sector expanded by 11% last year to reach 643m in take-home sales, which accounted for 20% of the UK soft drinks market by volume, according to the Britvic Soft Drinks Category Report 2007.

Nestlé recorded an 18.7% increase in net profits to 1.5bn in its latest financial results. Its performance was aided by its water business, which registered organic growth of 10.3%.