Heinz appoints Matt Hill as its chief marketing officer

Hill's appointment follows the re-instatement of the Heinz CMO role, last held by Suzanne Douglas who became managing director of Heinz Australia in February last year.

His imminent arrival is being touted as a clear signal of Heinz's strong commitment to driving the brand portfolio forward and putting the consumer at the heart of the company's agenda.

Hill is currently global vice president of brand development at Knorr Masterbrand & Soups, a role he has held since 2007. 

He joined Unilever in 1993 and has held a number of marketing positions within its Foods businesses. Among his successes is the launch of Flora pro-activ in 21 countries.

In his new role he will have four marketing directors report into him: Giles Jepson, sauces and soups; Paula Jordan, beans, kids and meals; Jane Jeffreys, baby food; and Paul Sterneib, frozen foods.

Last year, Heinz launched its biggest-ever umbrella brand campaign across its entire product portfolio, to step up its battle against supermarket own-label products

The company said the £5m campaign, by agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, represented its biggest marketing spend in the past five years.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk