Nestlé scraps UK marketing chief role in restructure
Nestlé has completed the restructure of its confectionery business, with the role of UK marketing director now scrapped.
It is understood the business will be broken up into five areas – chocolate, chocolate biscuits, seasonal, new business, and fruit and sugar – headed by “business leads” who will report to managing director David Rennie.
Sources close to the company suggest the feeling internally was that Nestlé is “too big to have one marketing director”.
The new leads include the likes of KitKat marketing manager Mark Simester, who will head the chocolate division. Gill Watson, who will head the fruit and sugar division, will also assume the role of head of marketing, strategy and planning. However, it is understood that this role will not provide her with seniority over other business leads in terms of any marketing strategies.
Nestlé, home to brands such as Polo, KitKat and Smarties, has repeatedly declined to comment on whether the confectionery side of the UK business is under review.
UK marketing director Terri Tinella left in August, just halfway through a three-year contract, moving internally to take up the position of managing director for confectionery at Nestlé Canada.
At the time, Marketing Week revealed that Nestlé was taking the opportunity to “look afresh at the commercial organisation of the confectionery business”.
Meanwhile, rival Kraft continues to shuffle its business following this year’s takeover of Cadbury.
