Thorntons hunts for successor after marketing chief quits

Thorntons is looking for a marketing director following the departure of Helen Wilcox.

Trading director Wilcox, who was responsible for marketing, advertising and PR at the struggling confectioner, left last Friday. Retail director Andrew Mounsey has also left the company.

Reports suggested Wilcox and Mounsey were made redundant but the company says the pair left by mutual consent. Neither has a job to go to and both were unavailable for comment as Marketing Week went to press.

A spokeswoman says: “Wilcox and Mounsey have decided to pursue new directions in their careers.

“Thorntons has already started to look for replacements and is very pleased with the quality of candidates being shortlisted.”

For the time being, chief executive Peter Burdon is overseeing marketing, while operations director Peter Baldwin will take responsibility for retail.

Burdon adds: “The company is confident these changes will continue to keep Thorntons on track for sustained profitable growth.”

Wilcox joined Thorntons in January last year, having previously been a marketer at Asda. She oversaw the appointment of Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy to the company’s &£4m creative account in August last year, after Thorntons parted company with incumbent Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R.

Thorntons says its Easter trading was “satisfactory” this year, following last year’s setback when &£1.4m of chocolate eggs were left unsold.

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