Hotel Chocolat has restructured its senior leadership team as it targets its next stage of global growth.
The changes are the most significant since the business was acquired by Mars in 2023. They include additions to its newly formed US team and changes to marketing and sales teams in the UK.
There are also some departures. Long-serving chief marketing officer Lynne Ormrod left the business after seven years last week, and commercial & property director Frankie Haynes is set to leave at the end of April. Hotel Chocolat is yet to announce replacements.
“This raft of new appointments brings a new shape to Hotel Chocolat, re-wiring around our two mega categories of chocolate as a gift and modern drinking chocolate,” Hotel Chocolat founder and global CEO Angus Thirlwell told The Grocer.
Among the new appointments is Ollie Pearce, who is joining as “business unit lead for velvetising the world”.
Having successfully scaled Hotel Chocolat in the US following its re-entry to North America in 2024, Pearce will now be responsible for the global expansion of the Velvetiser drinking chocolate offer, its fastest-growing channel and a significant area of focus. Pearce is Thirlwell’s son-in-law.
Meanwhile Jonny Henshaw has been appointed head of UK sales. He joins from fellow Mars-owned brand Kind Snacks, where he has spent the past seven years in digital and grocery channel roles. He was previously trading director for UK grocery at Mars.
Hotel Chocolat’s third US expansion attempt
New additions to the US team also come from within the Mars group.
John Olsen has been appointed as the US marketing lead, reporting to US general manager Kelly Goering. Olsen has spent the past decade in a number of marketing roles at Mars and as senior brand director at Kind. He’ll be joined by Franki Smurro as head of US sales, who has spent the past 12 years at Mars.
Jillian Masi Fortin has been appointed head of digital US for Hotel Chocolat. Fortin’s previous experience includes The Campbell’s Company, Unilever and Amazon.
Separately, Hotel Chocolat has also appointed a new head of manufacturing to lead its Hadley Park factory in Huntington, Cambridgeshire, following the departure of head of multisite manufacturing – and face of its popular behind-the-scenes TV show – Ollie Hughes, who is leaving after six years.
His responsibilities will pass to Mike Piaggesi, who has been promoted to head of manufacturing and plant strategy, having worked at the business for a decade.
Hotel Chocolat is in the midst of a third attempt to crack the US market, having opened its first physical US stores for nearly four years, in Chicago last year. It aims to reach a “double-digit” number of stores by the end of 2026.
Last month it unveiled its biggest brand refresh for 21 years, with a complete overhaul of its signature gift box collections aimed at tackling cocoa inflation, as well as improving the range of price points available to customers.
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