Blackburn Rovers sponsor appoints marketing chief

Crown Paints, shirt sponsor of Premier League club Blackburn Rovers, has promoted Liz Hickson to the role of marketing director.

Hickson steps up from her role as marketing controller to become the Lancashire-based coatings firm’s first board level marketing director.

According to a statement, Hickson’s promotion signals a “renewed focus on the company’s market leading brands”.

The move comes as the company, which makes the Crown, Sadolin, Sandtex and Berger brands, undergoes a restructuring programme following its recent buyout from Akzo Nobel, backed by private equity house Endless LLP.

Hickson, who has held various senior sales and marketing positions during her 15 years at the company, will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s marketing strategy for the complete paint and woodcare portfolio across the trade and retail sectors.

Crown Paints signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Blackburn Rovers last March which was said at the time to be potentially up to £5 million depending on the team’s performance.