Hazlewood Grocery marketing supremo quits

Hazlewood Grocery marketing and sales director Karen Carlyle, a former Asda and Marks & Spencer (M&S) marketer, is to leave her job later this year for a possible move into consultancy.

Carlyle has been in the position for just over a year and has responsibility for the company’s &£80m grocery account. She was previously the commercial director of parent company Hazlewood Foods, one of the largest producers of supermarket own-brand products, whose clients include Sainsbury’s and Tesco. However, to avoid relocation following the company’s acquisition by Greencore Group, she took the role of marketing and sales director for the group’s grocery division.

Carlyle has worked as head of marketing and merchandise at Asda and spent 15 years in sales and marketing roles for M&S. She also spent three months as marketing director of CRS, the then owner of Co-op supermarkets, before quitting the chain mid-way through its relaunch in the late-Nineties.

Carlyle says: “I’ve decided to take a break. I’ve been planning to do it for quite a long time. I’m trying to improve my work-life balance and forming my own consultancy is something I’m considering.”

Hazlewood is reviewing its structures and has yet to decide whether it will replace Carlyle. It employs about 11,000 people worldwide.