Cadbury’s marketing and sales operations to remain in UK
Kraft says it will keep Cadbury’s marketing and sales operations in the UK because “they understand the British market”.
The reassurances were made by Kraft’s executive VP for corporate and legal affairs, Marc Firestone, at an all-party business select committee on March 16.
The hearing saw Firestone, alongside Cadbury president Trevor Bond and HR director Richard Doyle grilled for three hours on their conduct during the £12bn takeover.
Thousands of British workers have been left fearing for their jobs after Kraft’s multi-billion pound takeover, especially as the American firm changed its mind about keeping open the Somerdale factory near Bath.
Kraft had said it would keep the plant open, but later changed its mind, saying it would close after all, with the loss of 400 jobs.
Firestone said: “I can commit that for at least the next two years, there will be no further closures of manufacturing facilities in the UK. And not with-standing any plans that are already underway, there will be no further compulsory redundancies of manufacturing employees in the UK.”
He then added that the marketing and sales operations would remain in the UK because “they understand the British market”.
The long-term structure of the sales and marketing teams is unknown and will depend on how the US food company begins to integrate Cadbury into its business. Kraft European president Mike Clarke says there will be a “best of both” approach.
At the beginning of March Cadbury UK’s managing director Trevor Bond was handed a new role as president of Kraft Foods Europe.
Bond is being promoted to president (markets) of Kraft Europe, while Kraft’s UK and Ireland MD, Nick Bunker, is taking over the combined UK business for Kraft and Cadbury. They will both report to Kraft European president Mike Clarke.
