Bulmers names marketing chief

Embattled cider company Bulmers has promoted head of innovation Sarah Heynen to marketing controller. She replaces Andrew Carter, who leaves in January to join Australian brewer Lion Nathan, owner of Castlemaine XXXX (MW November 7).

Heynen will head Bulmers’ 15-strong marketing team and will report to group marketing director, Jon Eggleton. Heynen’s promotion marks the end for Bulmers’ aggressive new product development strategy, which was central to the company’s efforts to become a major international player in the drinks industry. The NPD team will now be absorbed into the main marketing department, with responsibility for innovation switching to brand managers.

A Bulmers spokesman confirms that Bambao, the Brazilian-themed premium packaged spirit, is being “phased out” (MW October 17). The launch of Storm, a PPS which has a “widget” to mix two different coloured liquids when the top is removed, is still under review. Storm has already been delayed by a year due to technical problems (MW April 25).

Heynen joined Bulmers in 1997 from KP Foods, where she was group brand manager. Before becoming head of innovation in 2000, she was Strongbow marketing manager.

Bulmers has yet to announce a replacement for chief executive Mike Hughes, who resigned in September along with finance director Alan Flockhart, after the revelation of a £3.8m hole in Bulmers’ accounts related to “previously unidentified promotional costs”.

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