>>SWEN NEUFELDT, SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER, EUROPE

Hormel Foods’ UK sales and marketing team is preparing for a focused new product development programme next year, says its senior product manager for Europe, Swen Neufeldt: “We are in the final stages of our annual planning and have an exciting year ahead.”

Hormel Foods supplies retailers with a lot more than Spam. Another of the US supplier’s brands is Stagg Chilli. It also produces Pelopponese, a line of Greek food and pasta sauces and Marrakesh Express cous cous and risotto lines.

Although its brands are better known in the UK than the company name, Hormel is active in 70 countries and boasts an annual turnover in excess of $4bn.

The UK sales and marketing team, which comprises Hormel staff and employees of its UK partner Tulip, is perhaps the group best known to retailers.

The Hormel side consists of Neufeldt, Marianne Pollock, brand manager for Spam and Stagg UK, and assistant manager Kelly Paige.

The Tulip contingent is made up of Cliff Carter, director of sales and marketing, Peter Turl, general sales manager, and Dave Kelly, national accounts manager. “We manage the
brands and marketing, while Tulip manages sales, logistics and finance,” says Neufeldt.

He has worked for Hormel for seven years, starting in sales and category management and moving to marketing.

Carter joined Tulip in May 2002 and previously managed non-food businesses in Europe and the Middle East.

When not working hard, the team are playing hard, says Neufeldt.

“Our hobbies are as diverse as our backgrounds. Marianne sails competitively, and Peter is an avid golf fan.

“I try to find time for golf while enjoying my newest promotion - to Dad.”

He is the proud father of a baby girl, Carina, who was born in July.


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