New Walkers chief to push health food

Walkers Snacks has created a new marketing role for its healthy snacking portfolio, in a further attempt to flag up its commitment to well-being. The appointment of Sean Summers as the first marketing director for healthier snacks comes ahead of a major new launch in the category later this year.

Summers, who takes over the new role on August 1, will be responsible for the brand’s growing range of “better-for-you” products, such as its nuts range, including Nobby’s Nuts, and for driving new development in that portfolio.

He will report to Walkers vice-president of marketing Jon Goldstone, and will sit alongside marketing director for Walkers Crisps Tony Mutta, and marketing director for evening snacking and snack brands Clive Jones.

The company has also appointed Thomas Dena-briere, currently a senior marketer at Danone, as marketing director, although Walkers declined to give further details. It is understood that Denabriere will join the company in the next three months.

Goldstone says the company is “always looking for new talent” and that, as its business grows, it is “constantly creating new roles”. He would not confirm if any other appointments are due to be made.

Summers joined PepsiCo in Argentina in 1996 and later moved to Mexico, where he worked on the Pepsi brand. He has just completed an MBA at Stanford in California and is relocating to the UK.

Walkers has launched a number of products in the better-for-you snacking category over recent years. In 2005, it launched Walkers Potato Heads, a low-fat crisp with no colourings, additives or preservatives aimed at children (MW October 14, 2004). It followed up the launch by reducing the level of fat in its core range, after switching to sunflower seed oil, and launched Walkers Baked, which have 70% less fat than normal crisps.