Steve Challouma, Birds Eye

Birds Eye has named Steve Challouma as its next UK marketing director.

He will take up the role on 1 March, having worked at the brand for 20 years. He began as a graduate trainee – when the business was Birds Eye Walls under the ownership of Unilever – and moved up to hold most recently the position of category general manager across the Nomad fish portfolio.

Challouma will be tasked with driving forward Birds Eye’s new marketing strategy, which sees the brand move from a masterbrand approach to product-focused campaigns. He is set to replace Steve Chantry, who will step down on 28 February to join Kraft Heinz as its UK & Ireland chief marketing officer.

Birds Eye UK’s managing director Wayne Hudson said: “Over the past few months, our bold new marketing strategy has made great progress. We are growing share again.

“Steve [Challouma]’s appointment demonstrates the vast amount of talent within the organisation, and I’m delighted to be drawing on his years of experience and knowledge as we enter the next exciting phase of growth.”

Challouma said he was looking forward to working closely with the Birds Eye marketing and brand teams as the business continued “rolling out our ambitious business plan throughout 2017”.