Heinz hires boss in babyfood rejig

Heinz has appointed Colin Tether as director of infant feeding for northern and eastern Europe as part of a restructure of its babyfood division.

Tether joins from Ranks Hovis McDougall (RHM), where he was group planning director. Before that, he was managing director of UK preserves company James Robertson & Sons – now part of RHM’s Centura Foods arm.

He will have responsibility for marketing in the UK and much of the Continent. He also heads development programmes for the Middle Eastern infant feeding business.

Tether, whose first post at RHM was divisional marketing director at Manor Bakeries, has also held senior marketing positions at McVitie’s and Kraft Foods.

He reports to European infant feeding managing director Graham Johns.

Johns says: “Tether will help to direct the strategic development of one of the core global categories of the Heinz business.”

The creation of Tether’s position is part of a corporate-level restructure of the infant feeding division.

Last year, Heinz president Bill Johnson announced plans to integrate product management across all Heinz markets.

A spokesman says: “The aim is to give the top staff a broader brief across more markets, so they can take a more international approach to infant feeding, as we have done with sauces.”

Heinz claims its own and subsidiary Farley’s infant feeding ranges account for 53 per cent of the UK’s &£163m babyfood market.

Leo Burnett handles creative work for Heinz infant feeding. Media is bought by Starcom.