A former Mars president will join Birds Eye UK & Ireland as managing director in September following the departure of Anne Murphy, The Grocer can exclusively reveal.
Andy Weston-Webb, who has worked on brands such as Colgate, Mars, Snickers, M&M's, Uncle Ben's and Dolmio during his 28-year-career, will take over the reins on 5 September and will sit on the Iglo Foods Group board and Iglo Group executive team.
Weston-Webb began his career in marketing with Reckitt and Colman and Colgate-Palmolive, and later joined United Biscuits in 1994 as European marketing director before taking up positions in Belgium and France.
For the past 11 years he has worked for Mars in Europe and Australasia, leading the regional food and confectionery businesses. In 2002, he was made VP Food Europe and transformed the value of the business through the roll out of Uncle Ben's microwavable rice.
Three years later, he moved to Australia and re-structured the regional food, chocolate and pet food businesses before returning to the UK in 2006 as president of the Mars Chocolate business in Europe where he also led the global development of the Twix brand.
"We are delighted to have a guy of Andy's calibre joining Birds Eye," said Iglo Foods Group CEO Martin Glenn. "He will have big boots to fill but he has a nice blend of skills. It's good to have someone with experience outside the UK. He's strong on marketing and is pragmatic."
Glenn added that it was the lure of private equity that attracted Weston-Webb to the role and indicated there was an appetite within the business for consolidation and acquisition of further companies.
"The UK and Ireland is attractive enough in itself; but he's got the chance in the future to run other international businesses within Birds Eye as we expand," Glenn said.
The Grocer revealed last week that Murphy was leaving Birds Eye to take on a new senior trading role at Boots.
Andy Weston-Webb, who has worked on brands such as Colgate, Mars, Snickers, M&M's, Uncle Ben's and Dolmio during his 28-year-career, will take over the reins on 5 September and will sit on the Iglo Foods Group board and Iglo Group executive team.
Weston-Webb began his career in marketing with Reckitt and Colman and Colgate-Palmolive, and later joined United Biscuits in 1994 as European marketing director before taking up positions in Belgium and France.
For the past 11 years he has worked for Mars in Europe and Australasia, leading the regional food and confectionery businesses. In 2002, he was made VP Food Europe and transformed the value of the business through the roll out of Uncle Ben's microwavable rice.
Three years later, he moved to Australia and re-structured the regional food, chocolate and pet food businesses before returning to the UK in 2006 as president of the Mars Chocolate business in Europe where he also led the global development of the Twix brand.
"We are delighted to have a guy of Andy's calibre joining Birds Eye," said Iglo Foods Group CEO Martin Glenn. "He will have big boots to fill but he has a nice blend of skills. It's good to have someone with experience outside the UK. He's strong on marketing and is pragmatic."
Glenn added that it was the lure of private equity that attracted Weston-Webb to the role and indicated there was an appetite within the business for consolidation and acquisition of further companies.
"The UK and Ireland is attractive enough in itself; but he's got the chance in the future to run other international businesses within Birds Eye as we expand," Glenn said.
The Grocer revealed last week that Murphy was leaving Birds Eye to take on a new senior trading role at Boots.
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