30th Anniversary best marketer: Martin Glenn Birds Eye Iglo Group

Since the merger in December 1999 of Dutchbased Benckiser and the UKs Reckitt & Colman, the combined companys sales have increased by an average of 7% a year, and its share price has risen by 356% compared with a 13% decline in the FTSE 100 index. Bart Becht, head of Benckiser, became chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser after the merger and is now one of the highest paid bosses in the UK.

Martin%20GlennSince Martin Glenn’s appointment as ceo in November 2006, Birds Eye Iglo has enjoyed a welcome reversal of fortunes. Sales of branded products grew by 1.1%, following an average decline of 3.8% during the previous three years.

New products, including a pollock-based fish finger, which has been greeted with enthusiasm by environmental campaigners, have breathed new life into what had become a tired brand.

In the UK, Birds Eye Iglo’s biggest market, the frozen food sector had suffered as consumers increasingly turned to chilled foods because of what Glenn insists is the mistaken perception that they are fresher. Glenn expects that Birds Eye Iglo’s approach to conservation and sustainability will increase investors’ appetite for the stock.

The Group is committed to a 30% cut in manufacturing CO2 emissions by 2020, a 15% cut in the amount of packaging used within four years and a 20% reduction in the volume of water used in production by 2020. One of the few marketers who managed the transition into general management, Glenn was awarded the Prince of Wales Ambassador Award in recognition of his work and was Marketing Week’s Chief Executive of the Year in 2003.

Sponsor: Witan Jardine

witan%20jardineWitan Jardine is a specialist, niche recruitment consultancy. Our underlying principle is to provide a personal service, structured to suit your individual needs. We have established a reputation for providing high quality, responsive and honest consultancy services to our clients and candidates alike.

Established for 29 years, we focus on recruiting in London, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore having recently joined forces with Ambition, the Australian Recruitment Group. We work with some of the most recognisable names within Professional Services, Financial Services, Commerce and Media. We recruit high calibre candidates with permanent, temporary, contract and interim opportunities in all levels of marketing, financial services and accountancy.

 

David Cocoracchio
Managing Director of Marketing
13 Southampton Place
London
WC1A 2AL
T 020 7404 4004
E salesandmarketing@witanjardine.co.uk
W www.witanjardine.co.uk

Directors
Andy Winterburgh – Chief Executive
David Cocoracchio –
Managing Director of Marketing
Matthew Hill –
Managing Director of Financial Services
Tracy Sinclair –
Managing Director of Accountancy
Disciplines Marketing, Financial
Services, Accountancy
Clients FTSE 100 companies to niche
SME businesses
Turnover £25 million
Established 1979
Professional bodies REC, IIP, RIB, FPR