SCA seeks marketing head for European tissue division

SCA Hygiene, the global consumer goods and paper company, is looking for a senior marketing chief to head its European tissue business, replacing Peter Irish, who is believed to be shifting to a new role in its US head office.

Irish is vice-president of sales and marketing at SCA Tissue Europe, based in the brand’s Munich office. He is understood to be moving across to a similar marketing related role at the company’s Philadelphia-based head office over the coming months.

SCA, which owns the Velvet toilet tissue brand, this week agreed a $512m (£350m) deal to acquire the European tissue business from Procter & Gamble (P&G), marking its exit from the household-paper products market in the region. It includes the Tempo brand and its manufacturing assets in the region, along with the exclusive licence to the Charmin and Bounty trademarks.

Advertising for Charmin and Bounty is currently handled by Publicis and it is unclear how the agency will be affected by the move.

An SCA spokesman says the deal is likely to be completed in the summer, subject to regulatory approval.

Irish’s move follows the appointment of Mats Berencreutz to head its European consumer tissue business in December last year. He replaced Ole Terland, who shifted to a senior role in its corporate research and technology department.

Berencreutz, who was previously chief technology officer of business group personal care, took over responsibility for developing the strategic direction for the business, including the marketing strategy for toilet tissue brand Velvet.